''Parking'' is a French fantasy and musical film from 1985. It was directed and written by

Jacques Demy Jacques Demy (; 5 June 1931 – 27 October 1990) was a French director, lyricist, and screenwriter. He appeared at the height of the French New Wave alongside contemporaries like Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut. Demy's films are celebra ...

, starring Francis Huster, Laurent Malet, and

Jean Marais Jean-Alfred Villain-Marais (11 December 1913 – 8 November 1998), known professionally as Jean Marais (), was a French actor, film director, theatre director, painter, sculptor, visual artist, writer and photographer. He performed in over 100 f ...

Synopsis

The

Orpheus Orpheus (; Ancient Greek: Ὀρφεύς, classical pronunciation: ; french: Orphée) is a Thracian bard, legendary musician and prophet in ancient Greek religion. He was also a renowned poet and, according to the legend, travelled with J ...

myth repeats itself in the 20th century, paying tribute to Jean Cocteau's film classic '' Orphée'' (1950) by having the actor who played Orpheus appear as Hades. Orpheus is a famous pop singer who composes love songs for Eurydice, his wife and sculptress who also designs his album covers; together they live alongside Aristée, his manager, and Calaïs, his sound engineer and lover, in a castle. During one of his concerts, an electrical malfunction briefly kills him and sends him to the Underworld, represented by a metro station and parking garage. Orpheus meets Charon, Hades, and Persephone, who agree to send him back to Earth as long as he doesn't reveal what he sees. Back on Earth, Persephone being sent to spy on Orpheus causes rifts between him and his lovers, as Calaïs admits to being jealous of Eurydice while Eurydice feels threatened by Persephone's attention. Meanwhile, Eurydice trades Orpheus concert tickets in exchange for drugs supplied by Dominique Daniel, leader of the Bacchantes; Eurydice and Orpheus have a violent argument over her drug usage and she refuses to attend his upcoming concert as a result. As Orpheus wrestles with his lost muse and additional love for Calaïs, he finds that Eurydice has died of a drug overdose during his show. After failed attempts to get to the Underworld on his own, Persephone takes Orpheus to a cemetery to descend to the Underworld and ask for Eurydice back. Hades agrees, but imposes the condition that he not look at Eurydice until they've both reached the exit; to circumvent this, Orpheus ties her tourniquet around his eyes. Eurydice stops for a break and they make love at one of Hades' motels. As the walk continues, Orpheus removes the tourniquet to avoid falling, but a speeding car makes him turn around and lose Eurydice, sending him back to Earth. At his final showstopping performance, dedicated to Eurydice, he is murdered by Dominique Daniel, who was denied his concert tickets. Orpheus reunites with his wife in death.

Cast

* Francis Huster as Orpheus * Laurent Malet as Calaïs * Keiko Itô as

Eurydice Eurydice (; Ancient Greek: Εὐρυδίκη 'wide justice') was a character in Greek mythology and the Auloniad wife of Orpheus, who tried to bring her back from the dead with his enchanting music. Etymology Several meanings for the na ...

* Gérard Klein as Aristée * Marie-France Pisier as Claude Perséphone *

Hades Hades (; grc-gre, ᾍδης, Háidēs; ), in the ancient Greek religion and myth, is the god of the dead and the king of the underworld, with which his name became synonymous. Hades was the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea, although this also ...

Hugues Quester Hugues Quester (born 5 August 1948) is a French actor. He has appeared in more than 60 films and television shows since 1969. He starred in Raúl Ruiz's 1983 film '' City of Pirates''. Selected filmography * '' Mr. Freedom'' (1969) * '' La rose ...

as Caron *

Éva Darlan Éva Darlan (''née'' Osty, born 3 September 1948) is a French actress, director, producer and writer. Career At the age of 14, she attended acting classes at the Cours Simon and starts at 16 years as an amateur. She took theater studies at th ...

as Dominique Daniel *

Annick Alane Annick Alane (5 September 1925 – 28 October 2019) was a French film, television, and theatre actress from Carnac. Filmography *1957: ''Les Truands'' (directed by Carlo Rim) *1965: ''Les Pieds dans le plâtre'' (directed by Jacques Fabbri a ...

as Luciennne *

Marion Game Marion Game (born 31 July 1942) is a French actress. Filmography References External links * Living people French film actresses French television actresses 1942 births 20th-century French actresses 21st-century French actresses ...

as the costumer * Jean Amos as Clément

References

External links

* * *
''Parking'' (1985)
at ''Films de France'' 1985 fantasy films 1985 films Films directed by Jacques Demy French drama films French fantasy films 1980s musical drama films 1985 romantic drama films 1980s French-language films 1980s romantic musical films Films scored by Michel Legrand Orpheus 1980s French films {{romantic-musical-film-stub