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IMDb > Le testament d'Orphée, ou ne me demandez pas pourquoi! (1960)

Le testament d'Orphée, ou ne me demandez pas pourquoi! (1960) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.2/10   772 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 5% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer:
Jean Cocteau (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Testament of Orpheus on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
18 February 1960 (France) more
Genre:
Plot:
The Poet looks back over his life and work, recalling his inspirations and obsessions. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. more
User Reviews:
This movie shows what a movie can be and should be. more (12 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (complete, awaiting verification)
Jean Cocteau ... Himself - the Poet
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Claudine Auger ... Minerve (uncredited)
Charles Aznavour ... Le curieux / The Curious Man (uncredited)
Lucia Bosé ... Une amie d'Orphée / Orphée's Friend (uncredited)

Yul Brynner ... L'huissier / Court usher (uncredited)
María Casares ... La princesse / The Princess (uncredited)
Françoise Christophe ... L'infirmière / The Nurse (uncredited)
Michèle Comte ... La petite fille / Little girl (uncredited)
Nicole Courcel ... La mère maladroite / The Young Mother (uncredited)
Henri Crémieux ... Le professeur / The Professor (uncredited)
Edouard Dermithe ... Cégeste (uncredited)
Luis Miguel Dominguín ... Un ami d'Orphée / Orphée's Friend (uncredited)
Guy Dute ... Le premier homme chien / 1 st Man-Horse (uncredited)
Daniel Gélin ... L'interne / The intern (uncredited)

Michael Goodliffe ... English Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Alice Heyliger ... Eurydice (uncredited)
Philippe Juzan ... 1st Man-Horse (uncredited)
Jean-Pierre Léaud ... Dargelos / The schoolboy (uncredited)
Michèle Lemoig ... A Lover (uncredited)
Serge Lifar ... Un ami d'Orphée (uncredited)
Jean Marais ... Oedipe (uncredited)
Daniel Moosmann ... 2nd Man-Horse (uncredited)
Brigitte Morisan ... Antigone (uncredited)
François Périer ... Heurtebise (uncredited)
Jean-Claude Petit ... 2nd Man-Dog (uncredited)
Philippe ... Gustave (uncredited)
Pablo Picasso ... Un ami d'Orphée (uncredited)
Jacqueline Roque ... Une amie d'Orphée / Orphée's Friend (uncredited)
Françoise Sagan ... Une amie d'Orphée (uncredited)
Alice Sapritch ... Une Gitane / Gipsy (uncredited)
Henri Torrès ... Le speaker (uncredited)
Annette Vadim ... Une amie d'Orphée (uncredited)
Francine Weisweiller ... The Confused Lady (uncredited)
Marie-Josèphe Yoyotte ... Une gitane / Gipsy (uncredited)
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Directed by
Jean Cocteau 
 
Writing credits
(in alphabetical order)
Jean Cocteau  writer

Produced by
Jean Thuillier .... producer: Les Editions Cinégraphiques
François Truffaut .... assistant producer (uncredited)
 
Cinematography by
Roland Pontoizeau 
 
Film Editing by
Marie-Josèphe Yoyotte 
 
Production Design by
Pierre Guffroy 
 
Costume Design by
Janine Janet 
 
Makeup Department
Alexandre Marcus .... makeup artist
 
Production Management
Michel Mombailly .... unit manager
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Francis Caillaud .... first assistant director
Jean-Pierre Bastid .... second assistant director (uncredited)
 
Art Department
Janine Janet .... sculptor
Jacques Martin .... set designer
 
Sound Department
Pierre-André Bertrand .... sound (as Pierre Bertrand)
René Sarazin .... sound
 
Special Effects by
Pierre Durin .... special effects
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Robert Alliel .... assistant camera
Lucien Clergue .... photographer: Les photographeis en marge du film ont été prises par
Yves Mirkine .... still photographer
Henri Raichi .... cameraman
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Cristóbal Balenciaga .... dress: Robe de la Dame Distraite par
 
Editorial Department
Raymonde Guyot .... assistant editor
 
Music Department
Georges Auric .... composer: theme music
Georges Auric .... musician: trumpet
François Baschet .... music supervisor (as F.B. Baschet)
Jacques Lasry .... music supervisor (as J. Lasry)
Jacques Métehen .... conductor (as Jacques Météhen)
Jacques Métehen .... music recordist (as Jacques Météhen)
Martial Solal .... musician: Piano-jazz
Christoph Willibald Gluck .... composer: "Orphée et Euridice" (uncredited)
 
Other crew
Lucile Costa .... script girl
Claude Pinoteau .... technical advisor
 

Production CompaniesDistributorsOther Companies
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Le testament d'Orphée (France) (poster title)
The Testament of Orpheus (USA)
more
Runtime:
Germany:79 min | UK:83 min | USA:79 min
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Filming Locations:
Company:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Cocteau's last film. more
Quotes:
Himself - the Poet: And the flower?
Cégeste: Take it to her. After all, the goddess is a woman and women never object to being offered flowers
more
Movie Connections:
Follows Orphée (1950) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
8 out of 12 people found the following review useful.
This movie shows what a movie can be and should be., 10 August 2004
Author: tamilmachina from India

Although the elements involved in the last part of the trilogy (of course it's a trilogy!) are same, the movie is brilliant in the way it deal and approaches with a poet's final years. I loved the self-reference to the earlier versions and to Jean cocteau himself. The film touches A film inside a film, a stage inside a stage, a life inside a life, a body inside a body and ofcourse a world inside a world. This is a "timeless" classic. No pun intended. This just my first viewing, I intend to see it again and again. One interesting thing (a speculation) is the BULLET from the future world. I wonder whether James cameroon got inspired from this idea to come up with "The Terminator".

Personally, I was always interested by the idea of NO TIME. This movie touches the possible cyclic nature of the time and sometime it even goes even further suggesting that -- ALL TIMES reside within ONE or NONE -- Well we're not supposed to understand it :) I loved the dig at intellectuals.

I would recommend this movie to all surrealist and anybody who has the eternal question -- WHY?! This movie is not an answer nor it asks question. Just OBEY the natural laws and see the movie :)

9/10

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