Testament of Orpheus
By April 24, 2000
PREFACE A man who dozes, his mouth half open, in front of a wood fire, lets slip some secrets from that night of the human body that is called the soul, over which he is no longer master. The sentry Read more »
SYNOPSIS: In his last film, legendary writer/artist/filmmaker Jean Cocteau portrays an 18th-century poet who travels through time on a quest for divine wisdom. In a mysterious wasteland, he meets several symbolic phantoms that bring about his death and resurrection. With an eclectic cast that includes Pablo Picasso, Jean-Pierre Leáud, Jean Marais and Yul Brynner, Testament of Orpheus (Le Testament de Orphée) brings full circle the journey Cocteau began in The Blood of a Poet, an exploration of the torturous relationship between the artist and his creations.
| The Poet | Jean Cocteau |
| Cégeste | Edouard Dermithe |
| The princess | María Casares |
| Oedipus | Jean Marais |
| Himself | Charles Aznavour |
| The court usher | Yul Brynner |
| The nurse | Françoise Christophe |
| The young mother | Nicole Courcel |
| The professor | Henri Crémieux |
| The intern | Daniel Gélin |
| The schoolboy | Jean-Pierre Léaud |
| Himself | Pablo Picasso |
| Heurtebise | François Périer |
| Director | Jean Cocteau |
| Written and directed by | Jean Cocteau |
| With technical assistance from | Claude Pinoteau |
| Cinematography | Roland Pontoizeau |
| Costumes and sculptures by | Janine Janet |
| Sets | Pierre Guffroy |
| Editing | Marie-Josèphe Yoyotte |
| Sound | Pierre Bertrand and René Sarazin |
| Makeup | Alexandre Marcus |
| Dame Distraite’s wardrobe by | Cristobal Balenciaga |
| Some special effects by | Pierre Durin |
| Masks | Bebko |
| Music | Georges Auric |
| Producer | Jean Thuillier |
By April 24, 2000
PREFACE A man who dozes, his mouth half open, in front of a wood fire, lets slip some secrets from that night of the human body that is called the soul, over which he is no longer master. The sentry Read more »