The beginning of Black Orpheus caught my attention right off the bat. It shows what seems to be the beginning of Carnaval celebrations in Rio. The city is loud and full of energy and everyone seems to have the same vibrant mood. We see different parts of the city, the slums and neighbourhoods of lower economic status, to the more developed parts of the inner city. Regardless of the part of the city, though, we see everyone is singing and dancing and celebrating.
We meet the girl in the white dress, arriving on a boat to the docks in Rio. She mentions she’s not familiar with the city when she bumps into the blind man. She seems kind and innocent. Right as she gets off the boat, she encounters dozens of people (in what seems to be a market), everyone trying to sell her food, necklaces and trying to get her to dance. The men say how pretty the girl is and some even catcall her. It seems to me that everyone in that market knows she’s new to the city or sees her as a tourist (“fresh meat” so to speak?). I also think their motive for being so nice to her is to get her to buy stuff from them… As she approaches the tram, the guy conducting the tram (Orpheus) lifts her up and onto the packed tram. They go from the inner city to what seems to be the outskirts of the city, with dirt roads and children playing barefoot in the streets.
Based on the first 11 minutes of the movie, I think the girl in the white shirt will get into some trouble due to her innocence and being new to the city. Everyone seems to want something from her because she doesn’t know the city, whether it’s selling stuff to her or wanting her company because she’s pretty. I sense a darker theme where she might even get taken advantage of. I’ve seen this happen to many tourists while they’re on vacation: sellers raise their usual prices for foreign visitors or try to make money off them by offering bogus services. I’m sure this happens everywhere in the world and this movie seems to me won’t be an exception.
Question for the class: do you think it’s fair for sellers to increase their usual prices to foreigners? Or do you think it’s a good business opportunity for sellers as they get to make more money and therefore improve the economy of the country?
I agree that there is a permeating aspect of celebration no matter the economic class in the first 11 minutes of Black Orpheus. In a sort of backwards extrapolation, the same way that the city is a unfamiliar experience to Eurydice, I expect that some characteristics of Eurydice will surprise the people she meets, as where we come from shapes how we interact with others. Personally I hope that the way she carries herself will maintain caution and speculation while being quick to move on from interactions, as she does in the opening. Although she spoke briefly to Hermes and Orpheus, she does not stay longer than necessary. Although she is approached in the city she does not engage in conversation, not even to reprimand the cat callers, and instead attempts to head straight to her destination. These are some mannerisms that I have observed many female bodied people historically.
As per your ending question, I think that the increased price for foreigners can incorporate the hassle surrounding language barrier, and the fact that foreigners sometimes expect to be treated better than citizens. To me if people have enough money to travel, then dealing with the repercussions of customs in these areas is something that they must become adaptable to
In your opinion do you think of Eurydice as more cautious or as someone naïve?
I think of her as more naïve than cautious. She gave some very personal information to Orpheus: she’s not from the city, she doesn’t know her way around, she’s on her way to see her cousin and she’s all alone. I think giving away this information to a stranger, in not a super safe city, wasn’t the smartest choice. If Orpheus had malicious motives, she might’ve made herself an easy target for him or anyone.
Hi Claudia,
Personally, I don’t think it’s necessarily “fair” for shop/street sellers to increase their prices for foreigners, but I also don’t think it’s morally wrong per se. It’s kind of like all those news stories during SARS and COVID, but especially SARS, where “developing” countries were seemingly branded as “unclean” due to wet markets and people there living in close contact with animals. If one ignores the factor of poverty, it is easy to judge. So if there’s a wealthy shop owner no, I don’t think it’s okay, and maybe it’s not “good” for ANYONE to raise their prices only for foreigners, but I also think it’s impossible to judge someone if they need the money or justify it by virtue of helping their economy. I think this may be a question for philosophers!
I think it’s up to the foreigners to do some research about pricing before they travel or else it is fair game haha. On another note, most economically depressed countries are a result of strategically sanctioned trade or exploitation with wealthier nations eg. the U.S. so I consider tricky market sellers a symptom of a greater issue.