The Orphic Trilogy

The Orphic Trilogy

Decadent, subversive, and bristling with artistic invention, the myth-born cinema of Jean Cocteau disturbs as much as it charms. Cocteau was the most versatile of artists in prewar Paris. Poet, novelist, playwright, painter, celebrity, and maker of cinema—his many talents converged in bold, dreamlike films that continue to enthrall audiences around the world. In The Blood of a Poet, Orpheus, and Testament of Orpheus, Cocteau utilizes the Orphic myth to explore the complex relationships between the artist and his creations, reality and the imagination. The Criterion Collection is proud to present the DVD premiere of the Orphic Trilogy in a special limited-edition three-disc box set.

Film Info

  • Spine #66

Films In This Set

Special Features

  • Luminous new digital transfers of the trilogy, each with extensive restoration
  • Edgardo Cozarinsky’s renowned 66-minute 1984 documentary Jean Cocteau: Autoportrait d’un Inconnu (Autobiography of an Unknown)
  • Villa Santo Sospir, a 16mm color film by Cocteau featuring many of the locations used in Testament of Orpheus
  • A gallery of rare behind-the-scenes photos from The Blood of a Poet
  • A collection of Cocteau’s writings on the trilogy, including a transcript of his lecture at the 1932 debut screening of The Blood of a Poet
  • A Cocteau bibliofilmography
  • New and improved English subtitle translations for each film

Slipcase illustration by Jean Cocteau, cover designs by Gordon Reynolds

Purchase Options

Films In This Set

The Orphic Trilogy

Special Features

  • Luminous new digital transfers of the trilogy, each with extensive restoration
  • Edgardo Cozarinsky’s renowned 66-minute 1984 documentary Jean Cocteau: Autoportrait d’un Inconnu (Autobiography of an Unknown)
  • Villa Santo Sospir, a 16mm color film by Cocteau featuring many of the locations used in Testament of Orpheus
  • A gallery of rare behind-the-scenes photos from The Blood of a Poet
  • A collection of Cocteau’s writings on the trilogy, including a transcript of his lecture at the 1932 debut screening of The Blood of a Poet
  • A Cocteau bibliofilmography
  • New and improved English subtitle translations for each film

Slipcase illustration by Jean Cocteau, cover designs by Gordon Reynolds