furthermore, the director adapts the 1956 play to suit a more modern and hardened brazil, creating a more abrasive version of the greek tale of orpheus and eurydice.

while the buoyant orfeu negro has a much celebrated soundtrack of bossa nova and samba, diegues's version includes some compelling funk carioca and hip-hop, the music heard in brazil's 'communidades' today.

he includes the character of lucinho, an overlord who controls the favela where orfeu and euridice meet and fall in love during the week of rio's carnival festival.

orfeu and lucinho, childhood friends, are seen to have taken very different paths in life with lucinho moving into gang warfare and orfeu using his musical skill and charm to try to rise out of adversity.