Scream and shout

October 21, 2013 9:09 PM

Arcade Fire - Afterlife (with footage from the 1959 Brazilian film Black Orpheus)

Their new album, 'Reflektor', drops October 29. (Previously)

Arcade Fire on mefi

Orpheus / Eurydice on mefi

posted by mysticreferee (12 comments total)

The first single Reflektor boded fairly well, to me. This kinda leaves me cold.

But then, it took quite a few listens to really get into The Suburbs. I plan on giving this new album the same chance...
posted by chimaera at 10:06 PM on October 21, 2013 [1 favorite]

This sound uncannily like a Tragically Hip song. Win Butler is channeling Gord Downie in the verses.
posted by Popular Ethics at 10:38 PM on October 21, 2013 [1 favorite]

Reklector is an amazing tune!
posted by panaceanot at 12:24 AM on October 22, 2013

I, for one, stand firmly against the cultural appropriation of this obviously intrinsic South American mythology.

BTW, if you want to watch the film, you can either order the disc on Netflix or stream on Amazon for $3. I hope they pick up some residuals that way. Or it's probably in many public libraries as it's a Criterion selection.
posted by dhartung at 1:11 AM on October 22, 2013 [4 favorites]

I should probably expound on my assertion that Reflektor is amazing, as apposed to "leaving me cold".

What I meant was I thoroughly enjoyed it (especially on repeat listens) and it didn't actually render me dead through soundwaves.
posted by panaceanot at 5:35 AM on October 22, 2013

Although, dhartung, there is an argument to be made that the original footage was a kind of appropriation, seeing as it was directed by French director Marcel Camus. I think that the mythic register of the film complicates that charge, but it was certainly produced with an outsider's eye to begin with.
posted by umbú at 6:11 AM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]

In 1999, Brazilian filmmakers attempted a corrective to the exoticism of the happy shantytown in the first film, making Orfeu (no subtitles, unfortunately, but you can see the images). The acting wasn't as good, but it's interesting to compare the two, side by side.
posted by umbú at 6:15 AM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]

Ok, shoulda caught that. Greek mythology, yadda yadda. There is, however, Afro-Brazilian candomblé mixed with the Greek myths, though, so it isn't so far-fetched that someone could trot out the appropriation argument.
posted by umbú at 6:25 AM on October 22, 2013

This sound uncannily like a Tragically Hip song. Guess it's time to get back into Arcade Fire.
posted by baltimoretim at 7:10 AM on October 22, 2013

Uh, hmn. This mash-up grabs some snippets of the emotionally charged scenes from the film out of context (which is what mash-ups do) and uses them for some kinda total effect which I think is vastly inferior to the original source (sigh). But if this makes anyone curious enough to watch the original, then that's cool. As mentioned, if you haven't seen Black Orpheus, please see it.

(I'm not really a big fan of the Arcade, but I do think that Win is a good songwriter).

Greek mythology, yadda yadda.
Well, they do shatter the Grecian Urn with the sensitive flute in the first few moments of the film...

Okay, let's have short interlude from the original: Manha de Carnaval from Black Orpheus.
posted by ovvl at 3:38 PM on October 22, 2013

I'm not really sure to make of this but I like it!
posted by Hello, I'm David McGahan at 4:13 AM on October 23, 2013

The whole album's up for streaming now, straight from the source!
posted by jason_steakums at 7:58 PM on October 24, 2013 [4 favorites]