Blog 10

For a few weeks we have been watching Black Orpheus in class. I have studied some Greek mythology but not a whole lot, so I know the basic stories. Greek mythology is something I'm very interested in, so I was excited about this film. I had never studied Orpheus and Eurydice before, but they kind of remind me of a Greek mythology version of Romeo and Juliet, which they probably are because Shakespeare is notorious for stealing plots. Anyway, I really like how this story is portrayed, as I'm sure it's not the usual, traditional way. I thinks it's interesting how they incorporated the mythology of Orpheus and Eurydice into the Brazilian culture, and its music. This made for a very unique story, and it's also very culturally distinct. While it probably closely matches the original Greek story, it's very distinctly Brazilian because of all the traditions they include in the story. This is a great example of an adaptable story, which for some is hard to accomplish. Some stories are stuck in a certain time or place, and they won't work anywhere else, but this story is not like that, and that's one of the things I like best about it. I really enjoy the music a lot which I know is the main reason we are watching it. It gives me a good sense of what music in Brazil is like, and how it's a very important aspect of cultural events and daily life. We didn't quite finish the film on Friday, so I'm really looking forward to seeing the ending of the film. This is something I would definitely want to watch again if I get the chance.