Leeds College of Music

Orfeu Negro

Orfeu Negro (Camus 1959) is regarded as key for Brazilian cinema for bringing bossa nova, samba and a romantic portrayal of the shantytowns of Rio de Janeiro to the world, despite being a French production. As samba/bossa nova is a crucial aspect of this film, there are two contending interpretations as to its meaning in the soundtrack. One regards it as truly innovative and a means for the expression of national identity, combining multiple cultural expressions such as samba/ bossa nova and shantytowns, while selectively and creatively drawing from Greek mythology, thus fitting what Deleuze would have called an instance of ‘minor’ cinema, despite its European director. The other regards it as counter to the world it seeks to depict, in fact actually working against the representation of happy shantytown dwellers—happy favelados—and depicting hardship, refuge, solace and love in the life of Afro-Brazilians. Here I provide a background to the way this film has been traditionally understood, then examine the main scenes where samba/bossa nova is played, and after careful analysis of the music and lyrics, with its socio-cultural connotations and subtexts, I conclude that although both interpretations are plausible, in its moving depiction of Afro-Brazilians as artists, Orfeu Negro can be considered an instance of minor cinema: a liberating cinema, free of the colonizer’s expectations and one of the multifaceted expressions of Brazilian identity.

Biography

Dr Hess studied his postgraduate degrees at the University of Bristol where he earned a master’s degree in Music Composition for Film and Television, and a doctorate in Film Musicology for the study of uses of samba in Brazilian Films. Dr Hess is a Senior Lecturer in Film Music Composition at Leeds College of Music, a Senior Associate Teacher in Classical Guitar at the University of Bristol and a Freelance Music Leader for Bristol Plays. He is also a very active composer working with film scores and production music.