Yet other examples include Cocteau sketching drawings with a rag and unsmashing pottery, with fragments flying up into his hand and joining together. By the time of Le Testament d'Orphée, use of reverse action was endemic in Cocteau's work, with more than one critic declaring it so overused as to be an embarrassing personal tic.
Cocteau's work also featured other instances, such as creating drawings with a rag and smashing pottery, where fragments would rise into his hand to form a cohesive whole. By the time of Le Testament d'Orphée, reverse action had become a hallmark of Cocteau's style, with critics noting it had become an overly familiar trait.