A mysterious take-charge Princess (María Casares) shows up and has Orpheus carry Cégeste to her limousine. She takes Orpheus to her mansion, where he becomes fascinated with an obscure radio broadcast, and Cégeste is returned to life, sort of, as the Princess' boy-toy slave.
Orpheus sees many strange things, then is brought back to his comely and adoring wife, Eurydice (Marie Déa), accompanied by the Princess' helpful chauffeur, Heurtebise (François Périer). Heurtebise spends quality time with Eurydice, while Orpheus remains obsessed with the radio broadcast, which can only be heard inside Heurtebise's car.
After stalking Orpheus for awhile, the Princess decides to kill Eurydice and take her to the afterlife, knowing that Heurtebise will encourage Orpheus to follow them to reclaim Eurydice. There, the Princess and Heurtebise face a tribunal that knows all the answers yet asks questions anyway.
It is revealed that the Princess is in love with Orpheus, while Heurtebise covets Eurydice. Orpheus is sentenced back to life with Eurydice, provided that he never sees her again. Heurtebise returns with them to ensure that Orpheus doesn't look at her, but the inevitable happens, since Eurydice keeps throwing herself at Orpheus.
How others will see it. This arty entry from writer/director Jean Cocteau was nominated as Best Film by the British Academy Awards. Cocteau had and has a strong following, and Orpheus is still loved today. At imdb.com, the user ratings are high and consistent at 8.0/10. Common comments concern how beautiful and strange the film is, among occasional attempts to elicit its meaning or insights.
How I felt about it. It sure beats Beauty and the Beast (1946), the only other Cocteau film I have seen. It is better because the story is stronger, and the characters are more interesting. The ancient Orpheus myth is enriched with the complications of the Princess and her chauffeur, who sometimes work for, and sometimes against, each other.
While the actors are undeniably attractive, their personalities are unromantic. Heurtebise is polite to Eurydice, and curt to everyone else. The Princess is rude to everyone, even Orpheus, who is equally disagreeable, even toward his own wife. Eurydice is the sweetheart here, and the wonder is why Orpheus prefers the mercurial Princess. Perhaps it is the challenge involved.
Often, a movie compels us to ponder its message. What does Orpheus tell us about the afterlife? A pack of nonsense, since once you are dead, all you do is slowly return to dust. What about love? The only person who benefits from the ending is Eurydice, who can continue to be with Orpheus, whether he loves her or not. Since Eurydice is the simplest and nicest character, the film's message is biblical instead of mythic. The meek will inherit the Earth after all.