Orpheus in der Unterwelt

Orpheus in the Underworld

Retrospective 2025

Orpheus is a violinist and music teacher in a semi-ancient Thebes that much resembles Belle Époque Paris. His neglected wife Eurydice is having an affair with a shepherd, who turns out to be Pluto, the God of the Underworld. When the god spirits Eurydice away to his dark realm, Orpheus is overjoyed, thinking he will be able to continue his extramarital escapades unchecked. Then Jacques Offenbach floats by in a hot air balloon and convinces him to go to the rescue of his unloved wife …
In this film version of Offenbach’s operetta, “perverted” with modern elements, audiences recognised aspects of everyday life in East Germany. There was Olympus, seat of the gods, ruled by a gerontocracy busy indulging in luxuries, and a working class in Hell addressed as “dear colleagues”. This colourful, frivolous film satire by Horst Bonnet melds visual citations from Hollywood musicals and pop regalia into an opulent artwork, filmed in 70mm, with six-channel magnetic sound on ORWO Color stock! All in all, it is a textbook example of haute camp.

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by Horst Bonnet (Director, Screenplay)
with Wolfgang Greese, Dorit Gäbler, Rolf Hoppe, Lisa Macheiner, Achim Wichert, Fred Düren, Helga Piur, Gisela Bestehorn, Fred Delmare, Werner Senftleben German Democratic Republic 1973 German 87' Colour Rating R 6

With

Wolfgang Greese
Dorit Gäbler
Rolf Hoppe
Lisa Macheiner
Achim Wichert
Fred Düren
Helga Piur
Gisela Bestehorn
Fred Delmare
Werner Senftleben

Crew

Director	Horst Bonnet
Screenplay	Horst Bonnet
Cinematography	Otto Hanisch
Editing	Thea Richter
Music	Jacques Offenbach, Marek Janowski
Production Design	Alfred Hirschmeier

Additional information

DCP: DEFA-Filmverleih / Deutsche Kinemathek