The opera of Orpheus & Eurydice is mentioned throughout Love Again, and here’s how its themes connect to Mira and Rob’s unusual love story.
Love Again mentions the opera Orpheus and Eurydice as part of Mira’s (Priyanka Chopra) history with her fiancé, but its themes also connect to her relationship with Rob (Sam Heughan). One of the latest additions to the rom-com genre is Love Again, the English-language remake of the 2016 German film SMS für Dich, based on the novel of the same name by Sofie Cramer. Directed by James C. Strouse, Love Again follows Mira Ray, a designer dealing with the sudden loss of her fiancé, John.
As a way to cope, Mira starts sending romantic texts to John’s old cellphone number, which unbeknownst to her, was reassigned to Rob Burns’ new work phone. Rob is captivated by the emotion in Mira’s texts and does his best to try to meet her, all while working on a profile of Celine Dion, who helps him understand what love is really about. At different points in Love Again, the opera Orpheus and Eurydice is mentioned, and Mira and Rob even meet at the opera, but the themes in this ancient legend actually connect to Mira and Rob’s unusual love story.
The legend of Orpheus and Eurydice tells the story of their tragic romance. Orpheus, son of Apollo and the muse Calliope, was given a lyre by his father. Orpheus was known for playing beautiful melodies that no one could resist, and one day, he fell in love with the beautiful Eurydice. When Hymen, the god of marriage, was called to bless Orpheus and Eurydice’s marriage, he predicted it wasn’t meant to last. Shortly after, Eurydice was wandering in the forest with the Nymphs when she was bitten by a snake, killing her instantly. Orpheus channeled his grief through his music and decided to descend to Hades by music to see his wife.
Once in front of Hades and his wife, Persephone, Orpheus played with his lyre a song so heartbreaking that even Hades was moved, so he allowed Orpheus to take Eurydice back – however, she would have to follow behind Orpheus while walking out from the caves of the underworld, and he couldn’t turn back to look at her as they walked. Orpheus started off well, but unable to hear his wife’s footsteps, he began to fear Hades had fooled him. In reality, Eurydice was a shade, and in order to become a full woman again, she had to come back into the light. A few feet away from the exit, Orpheus turned to see Eurydice, sending her back to be trapped in the underworld forever.
Orpheus was unable to return to the underworld as no one could enter Hades’ realm twice while alive. Some versions say Orpheus played a mourning song with his lyre, calling for death, and was either killed by beasts or by the Maenads. Another version says Zeus struck Orpheus with lightning as he knew Orpheus might reveal the secrets of the underworld to the humans. The Muses then saved Orpheus’ head and kept it among the living people to sing forever, while his lyre was cast into the sky as a constellation.
In Love Again, the opera of Orpheus & Eurydice was John’s favorite, and he and Mira would go to the opera whenever they could, and the legend certainly fits with the tragedy of their story, but the themes of the legend also connect to Mira and Rob’s happy ending. Like Eurydice, Mira was “rescued” by Rob from her grief and was given a new chance at love, though very much like Orpheus, Rob made a mistake by not being honest with Mira about her texts. Unlike Orpheus and Eurydice, however, Mira and Rob were given another chance, and they got their happy ending. Rob’s journey is also marked by music, though instead of being music played by him, like Orpheus and his lyre, he counted on the talents of the one and only Celine Dion.

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