Movie Review - Orpheus' Song

Two, straight men from Germany go on a trip to Greece where their friendship takes a turn for the erotic. The title refers to a character from Greek mythology, a character whose music could charm anyone or anything. Some poetry about the Greek figure ascribe an alluring and sexual aspect, meaning either he or his music was seductive or could lead to sexual activity. The film features a Greek man who plays music, which leads to some seductive images and even lustful actions. It's a question though if external forces are at work, even magical forces, or if the lustful actions are simply the result of latent desires finally being released.

In some superficial ways, it reminded me of Reid Waterer's short film Foreign Relations (2014), which focuses on a closeted man who travels to Greece and encounters a local Athenian with whom he develops feelings but is reluctant to act upon. Writer-director Tor Iben's film isn't as comedic and lighthearted as Waterer's. Iben tends to make more provocative films like those about serial killers and gay stalkers. Iben leans more on the dark and demented aspects of humanity. His first feature was The Visitor (2013), which was a same-sex romance, a homosexual awakening, but that was about a police officer investigating grisly murders. His least provocative and most comedic would probably be Where Are You Going, Habibi? (2016), which is about a man getting involved with a criminal. This film does away with all those darker elements. It does still echo themes Iben's utilized previously, such as explorations of masculinity, as well as male friendships developing into something more.

Sascha Weingarten stars as Philipp Mankowski, a young German guy living in Berlin. Not much is known about him, except that he's in his mid to late 20's, and he's looking for work. He's preparing for a job interview, but he's obsessed with exercise and bodybuilding. He seems to be constantly at the gym. He's eating certain foods, lifting weights and measuring his arms and chest, doing what he can to get buff and more muscular. There are of course hints that his body image is more just for show than necessarily for health reasons. There are also hints that his macho facade is to cover latent same-sex attraction. If that is the case, it's never clear why he wouldn't have acted upon it thus far, given how gay-friendly Berlin is.

Julien Lickert who was one of the stars of Iben's previous film The Year I Lost My Mind (2018) plays Enis Beckmann, another young German guy living in Berlin. He seems to be a college student, but, given his age, he's probably going for his Master's degree or maybe a doctorate. It's not sure what he's studying or maybe he's a teacher, but he's best friends with Philipp. He's often in the gym with Philipp, exercising and lifting weights. One reason that Philipp hasn't acted upon whatever gay tendencies he has is probably because he's in love with Enis, except he can't really make a move because Enis is straight and has a girlfriend who is a gorgeous model.

When Philipp wins a trip to Greece, he gets Enis to accompany, even though Enis doesn't want to go. What follows are the two young men enjoying a vacation in that country. They have a nice hotel. They go to the beach. They even go on a hike. It's suggested that Philipp might not be totally gay. He might be interested in women. Yet, he's drawn back to Enis at the end of the day and his lust for Enis is what seems to motivate him. Given that Enis sounds like Ennis, the protagonist from Brokeback Mountain (2005), I thought that's the direction the film would go.

However, as the film progressed, Philipp and Enis get lost in the woods and countryside. A strange incident occurs that seemingly casts a spell over them, a spell involving a pomegranate. At that point, I thought the film would go in a direction akin to The Ornithologist (2017) or Staying Vertical (2017). Both are queer films about gay men getting lost in the woods or countryside and having bizarre things happen to them. Yet, that's not exactly the route of this film. The route is more along the lines of something like Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008). There's even a character here similarly named Kristina, though it's not as comedic as Allen's film. It's also way more homoerotic than an Allen film with a definite queer gaze at the male body. There's also a very erotic scene that mimics the iconic beach scene in the film From Here to Eternity (1953).

Not Rated but contains full frontal nudity and intense sexuality.
Running Time: 1 hr. and 12 mins.

Available on Dekkoo.