Jean Cocteau’s famous interpretation of the Orpheus legend finds the mythical wanderer (Jean Marais) traversing Left Bank poet cafes and being hounded by a Death Princess (Maria Casares) wearing dominatrix black leather, just two of the modern touches that makes Cocteau’s vision a fashion standout. Collected by the Criterion Collection in the “Orphic Trilogy” box set, along with “The Blood of a Poet” and “The Testament of Orpheus”, this is easily the best of the three, with charming and minimal special effects and with Marais giving possibly his finest performance, though those that suggest this is Cocteau’s best film forget the power and charms of “Beauty and the Beast”, which is both less precious and artfully pretentious as “Orpheus”.