Hoshi no Orpheus
Winds of Change
星のオルフェウス
A magical blending of old and new, with colorful animation and an exciting disco/rock musical score, "Winds of Change" is a re-telling of 5 ancient Greek myths. These delightful cautionary tales are adapted from the classical author, Ovid, with a new character, called Wondermaker added. Wondermaker acts as our guide to each episode's meaning, and transforms himself into each of its heroes. First, he is Perseus cutting off the head of Medusa; then, Actaeon being turned into a deer for spying on the goddess Diana as she bathes; the god Mercury in a tale of envy; Orpheus descending into Hades for his love, Eurydice; and finally, Phaeton wreaking havoc with the sun-god's chariot.
Synopsis
A magical blending of old and new, with colorful animation and an exciting disco/rock musical score, "Winds of Change" is a re-telling of 5 ancient Greek myths. These delightful cautionary tales are adapted from the classical author, Ovid, with a new character, called Wondermaker added. Wondermaker acts as our guide to each episode's meaning, and transforms himself into each of its heroes. First, he is Perseus cutting off the head of Medusa; then, Actaeon being turned into a deer for spying on the goddess Diana as she bathes; the god Mercury in a tale of envy; Orpheus descending into Hades for his love, Eurydice; and finally, Phaeton wreaking havoc with the sun-god's chariot.
Characters
Supporting
Trailer
Reviews(2)
matthigh
January 12, 2019
While I lived through the seventies, I was way too young to truly understand just how trippy and experimental the decade was. But now, you can relive the magic through animation! This is one weird film, a compilation of five different Greek myths from Ovid's Metamorphoses, from the warped minds of Sanrio (who later unleashed the demon that was to become Hello Kitty). None of the characters speak, instead there's an omniscient narrator explaining what is going on, provided by the somewhat-laconic Peter Ustinov. Also, the stories feature a disco-riffic soundtrack ripped from the decade, with songs by MickJagger and Joan Baez. Think of it sort of like Sanrio's answer to Disney's Fantasia, with a heavy dose of Heavy Metal mixed in for good measure. Fairly dark and foreboding artwork -- except when it comes to the protagonists of each story, which are played by the Precious Moments Players. Stories include the myths of Actaeon, Orpheus, Envy, Perseus and Phaeton. All nice little tragedies to scare young children with. This really is a weird product of the seventies, and probably only of interest to buffs of the history of animation.
