The Blood of a Poet (1930)
Rating: 2 1/2 Stars (out of 4)
Verse Reverse
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
Buy Jean Cocteau's Orphic Trilogy on DVD
Cocteau's 53-minute directorial debut
was released the same year, and financed by the same company, as Luis
Bunuel's L'Age d'Or. Both are prime examples of surrealism, though
Cocteau refused to be labeled with that term. Characters
walk on walls, pass through mirrors and talk to statues. I like Bunuel's film
better, as it takes itself less seriously, but Cocteau's film contains
unforgettable moments of cinematic poetry in its purest form.
The Criterion Collection has released in the film in a box set with Cocteau's
Orpehus (1949) and The Testament of Orpheus (1960).
Starring: Enrique Rivero, Elizabeth Lee Miller, Pauline Carton, Odette Talazac, Jean Desbordes, Fernand Dichamps, Lucien Jager, Féral Benga, Barbette
Written by: Jean Cocteau
Directed by: Jean Cocteau
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Language: French with English subtitles
Running Time: 55 minutes
Date: June 4, 2001
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