Jean Cocteau as ‘The Poet’ wanders weightlessly through a dream landscape peopled by his friends, and the characters and images from his earlier films ‘Blood of a Poet’ (Le Sang du Poete) and ‘Orpheus’ (Orphee). The ageing poet knows he is dying (as indeed Cocteau was) and his greatest desire is to be reborn so that he can qualify for celestial immortality. This film is beautiful because it is the film of a man who knows he is going to die and still cannot take death seriously. Absurdity and grace are the two faces of the same medal that the poet throws into his night and falls back into our darkness”. Reference: Les Cahiers du Cinema, April 1960. The film was shot in the quarries of Les Baux de Provence, a highly mythical place, since Dante found inspiration for ‘The Divine Comedy’ in the same location.
Credits: Producer, Jean Thuillier ; director, Jean Cocteau ; writer, Jean Cocteau ; photography, Roland Pontoizeau ; music, Geoges Auric, Martial Solal ; stills photographer, Lucien Clergue ; costumes, Cristobal Balenciaga.
Cast: Jean Cocteau, Edouard Dhermitte, Henri Cremieux, Yul Brynner, Jean-Pierre Leaud, Francoise Christophe, Claudine Auger, Charles Aznavour, Francois Perier, Jean Marais, Pablo Picasso, Daniel Gelin.
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How to watch
Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
X000058
Languages
English
French
Subject category
Foreign language films
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Black and White
Holdings
16mm film; Limited Access Print (Section 2)