Orpheus And Prejudice

The story of Orpheus and Eurydice has long been passed down and retold numerous times over the centuries. This great Greek myth inspired the film Black Orpheus. The movie resituates the myth in Ovid?s Metamorphoses in a contemporary way; taking place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during Carnival. The costumes that the characters wear are very symbolic and key to interpreting the movie in comparison to the ancient myth. In the beginning of the film, Eurydice is being pursued by a man dressed in a black costume with the resemblance of bones painted on it. Is this the personification of death or some lunatic stalking her? During a scene at Carnival one onlooker noticed him and his friend stated that it was just a costume and didn?t think much about it. Every person in whole city seemed to be in costume so this figure blended in. At one point in the movie during the parade, Mira, Orpheus? fianc?e, was going after Eurydice with an iron
As he is carrying Eurydice?s limp body up the mountain overlooking the city his jealous fianc?e began hurling rocks at him. Very similar to the version that Ovid wrote about the raving mob of the Thracian women casting stones at Orpheus. In both the myth and the movie Orpheus had turned his attentions and affections to Eurydice and basically written off his will to love another ever again after her death. There is nothing like a woman scorned.
Although it is understood that Orpheus lost Eurydice for a second time as he was leading her out of the underworld in Ovid?s rendition of the myth; Orpheus also loses Eurydice a second time in the movie as well. While being pelted with rocks from the jealous fianc?e, he happens to lose his footing and falls, with Eurydice in his arms, down the side of the mountain. This could very well symbolize his return to the underworld after being ripped apart by the Maenads, where he and Eurydice now spends eternity,