The reviews lean towards admiration, with praise clustering around the music, colour and Carnival imagery rather than the storytelling. The more enthusiastic critics find the retelling of the Orpheus myth persuasive in its mixture of everyday life and fantasy, carried by bossa nova, dance and Rio’s scenery. The cinematography draws praise for its contrast between daylight celebration and nighttime menace. Variety also singles out Marpessa Dawn, finding that the cast’s fresh performances help a somewhat cerebral film.
The spread is wide: reservations range from idealised cultural tourism to doubts about whether the story has much force. Even some admirers acknowledge concerns about stereotyping. The Guardian offers the clearest dissent, finding the narrative weak and the film short of resonance beside Cocteau’s Orphée. The central divide is between critics carried along by the music and images and those who find the drama insufficient.