Love and Death in Black Orpheus

Ashley Milton English 1020

Love and Death in Black Orpheus

May 10, 2004 paper no. 4

In fiction or reality being overly ambitious can cause one to yield to the evils of temptations. In Black Orpheus the myth fits into the story because it demonstrates the extremes an individual will endure to regain lost love, and relive the past. In the movie Orpheus and Eurydice both experience a case of “love at first at first sight”. They barely know each other but feel that because of Greek Mythology they were destined to love each other. When Orpheus asked Eurydice her name, and she responded he said that he knew he loved her. Another factor of love is displayed when Orpheus leaves Mira his fiancй for Eurydice, someone who he barely knew.

In the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, Orpheus and Eurydice become married; however these two gain unconditional love for each other like in the movie. Orpheus loves Eurydice with all his heart, and would do anything to savage their relationship. Orpheus feels as if nothing could harm them, not even death. In Black Orpheus the two of them also conquer jealousy from the town’s people. Many people didn’t encourage the love these two had built and basically wanted the love affair between them two to end.

In the movie Orpheus tried to protect Eurydice from anything he felt would harm her, including his fiancй Mira, who evidentially hated her. Mira tried on numerous occasions to harm Eurydice, but Orpheus would always be their as a form of protection. Orpheus also tries to protect Eurydice from the skeleton man who symbolized “death”. Orpheus goes beyond the call of duty to comfort Eurydice because she was very frightened by his appearance. Orpheus followed Eurydice around when she became startled.

When the skeleton man finally succeeds at harming Eurydice Orpheus tries to save her by running to her rescue. However the only thing that was saved was his feelings for Eurydice and his memory. Death is represented when Orpheus electrocutes Eurydice on the cables. In the myth Orpheus tries to come to her aid several times because of the unconditional love he had for her. Once again, like in the movie “death” comes for Eurydice again. Unlike the movie, she was killed by snake bites which lead to the end of her.

In Black Orpheus, after the electrocution Orpheus sets out to regain lost love once more. This man does whatever is in his reach to relive the past again. Orpheus uses the love he has for Eurydice and the sweet charm of his voice to attempt to fill the void in his life. Once again as any other person in love would do he began to search for her by going through whatever obstacles and oppositions that made themselves evident. Many people achieve love in their life and are happy, but sometimes individuals are not favored by the stars; they loose their love and spend their life in hope of regaining love.

In the myth, once Eurydice was bitten by the snake and killed Orpheus displayed his love and feelings for her by singing his grief every where in order to acquire lost love. Orpheus spread his love amongst everyone by word of mouth. Again as stated above, anyone in love will do whatever it takes for them and their companion to be together. Orpheus does just that by seeking her in the underworld. He begs and pleads for them to be reunited once more. Because of the amount of pain Orpheus endures, his shattered hopes no one can resist.

The movie also shows the amount of pain Orpheus endured after