The Role of the Princess in Jean Cocteau’s Film Orpheus
“As he lay in his bed, Orpheus’ Death would watch him sleep.” This is one of the most notable reoccurring behaviors of the princess of death in Jean Cocteau’s Orpheus. As made apparent, one of the many differences between Cocteau’s version of Orpheus and the Greek version is that death is personified through a female princess, rather than that of a male god. How does Cocteau embody death through the princess, is she all powerful, does she escape mortal tendencies, and finally, what does all this suggest about death?
Throughout history death has been a fascination to many authors, often personified as cruel, rigid, and ugly. In Cocteau’s Orpheus, however, death (or perhaps merely a face of death), is personified through a beautiful and strong, young woman. While this façade fools Cocteau’s characters, he uses many clues to indicate the princess’s role such as appearance, dialogue, and actions.
In the first scene we are introduced to the princess when she appears at the social cafe with Cegeste, a distinguished and unruly young poet. While her role at this point remains unclear, her powerful stature is clear. She steps out of her car with grace yet confidence, making eye contact with no one, yet holding her head high. Immediately she is noticed by Orpheus, by both her beauty and authority. Her clothing is dark; black long skirt and black jacket, and her hair is worn sleeked back in a pony tail. All this indicates authority, but the color choice further indicates a cool, dark presence. Throughout the film, as the princess’s mood changes, her wardrobe also changes, from business like to more romantic and seductive. Despite these changes, one thing remains constant, the co...
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...ponding to her abuse of power. While she did possess powers, she did not possess the authority of when to exercise those powers.
In Jean Cocteau’s Orpheus, he has personified death through a beautiful princess. Throughout the film, many common beliefs of death were challenged, from those more trivial such as how death may appear, to whether it be an all-powerful occurrence, or managed under some higher power. By using the princess as death’s personification, he weakened the idea of death; suggesting that while it is beyond the hands of mere mortals a higher power is in control. As the princess took life through personal motive, perhaps there, too, is motive behind whatever power controls death. I believe Cocteau is suggesting that we live in a world where death comes to not only those deserving, but to bystanders who happen to be in the way of a personal goal.
"Glencoe, Massacre of (13 February 1692)." The Companion to British History, Routledge. London: Routledge, 2001. Credo Reference. Web. 03 December 2013. Print
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