The Gaze of Orpheus is both a loss (of primordial polymorphous, autoerotic wholeness) and an ‘achieved anxiety’ (a precocious anticipation of an impossible maturity or return to wholeness” (Linder 82) The Gaze of Orpheus The Gaze of Orpheus is derived from the antiquarian Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Following his descent into the Underworld Orpheus disobeys Hades’ and Persephone’s condition for release of his wife Eurydice. "To you this tale refers, Who seek to lead your mind Into the upper day; For he who overcome should turn back his gaze Towards the Tartarean cave, Whatever excellence he takes with him He loses when
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (mainly for large video store chains); the other was the original version. The film received largely positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it currently holds a 90% score based on 39 reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The site's consensus states: "This romantic crime drama may not be to everyone's taste, but "The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover" is an audacious, powerful film." Roger Ebert of the "Chicago Sun-Times" gave the film four out of four stars, noting that the film's raw emotion and violent interpersonal conflict was a departure from Greenaway's typically cerebral and