Pair of films by French poet, novelist, dramatist and artist Jean Cocteau bookending his film career: 'Un Sang D'Un Poete' (1930) is his debut and a surrealist classic in which the action begins with a young poet sketching faces. The mouth of one of the sketches comes to life, becomes affixed to the poet's hand, and is then wiped from the hand onto a statue. The poet then flees into a mirror and a series of adventures in an alarming fantasy world. 'Le Testament D'Orphee' (1959) is the personal, final film from Cocteau who stars as the poet, wandering through a dream world populated with figures and motifs from his earlier works. Features an all-star cast, including the likes of Charles Aznavour, Yul Brynner and Pablo Picasso.
(Amazon)
Compilation of two Jean Cocteau art movies, this set offers the very difficult to obtain but quite fascinating "Blood of a Poet" — shot in 1928 and released in 1930 after some controversies with its producer, the Vicomte de Noailles — and "The Testament of Orpheus", the artist's last movie with several friends like Edouard Dhermitte, Maria Casarès, Jean Marais, Picasso, and Brigitte Bardot. Part of his "Poetry of the Cinematographer", those two movies are an occasion to witness Cocteau's recurring themes and symbols present in his work. Two wonderful art pieces to observe and obtain, two artworks that add to the visual genius that is Jean Cocteau.
By Omnes on 8 July 2015