Carmen

I don't think I'm embelishing when I say that Carmen is without a doubt, the greatest movie in the history of mankind. If you haven't already seen this work of art, then crawl out of your cave and ask someone to show it to you. Better yet, request that Wayne make you a copy (wayne@freethought.ca).


Synopsis

Carmen blends comedy, drama, action, and even musical numbers in this 2002 remake of the Bizet classic. Set in 1820 in Spain, the plot revolves around a seductress gypsy named Carmen, the men who love her and the consequences of this love. The movie starts when Don Jose, one of Carmen's future love interests kills a man after an intense battle of wits. After joining the army, Don Jose meets the gypsy and falls madly in love with her, causing him to attack his senior officer and flee to the mountains. But the gypsy's heart soon wanders from her diminutive lover to the tall, attractive matador named Escamillo. After the pair professe their love to each other at bull fight, Don Jose is driven mad with rage and kills Carmen. However, the movie veers off of the opera's plot at the end with a surprising twist or two (or five).

Secondary plot lines are also woven in well from the lesbian smuggler Dancairo's bobblehead schemes to the not so subtle romantic vibes of Carmen's friend Mercedes towards Escamillo. The supporting cast does a fantastic job of giving many of these secondary characters life and, in some cases, even having nameless extras steal the show.


Reviews

By Leonard Malkin
Carmen (2002, ****). A spanish gypsie's charm causes two men to fall in love with her, eventually leading to death...and hilarious hijinxs. One of the great films of 2002, this movie is an adaptation of the famous opera by Bizet sharing the same title, set in Spain during the 1820s. While the setings are basic, stellar acting from a mostly no name cast and terrific editing elevate this fantastic script from an Oscar front-runner to a movie which can be mentioned in a debate among the all-time great films. Despite moments of dramatic suspense and action, this film is above all else a comedy with the talented cast drawing the most laughs from scenes with little spoken dialogue. Even the basic acts of urination and dancing are played up for laughs in this film. Also, has a surprise ending which would make Night Shyamalan proud.


Original Script

Carmen


Deleted Scenes

Some original scenes from the opera which were cut can be found here.


Pictures

Behind the scenes pictures from the making of Carmen, the movie can be found here.


Commentary

Coming Soon! In fact, if you would like to write a review of Carmen, provide behind the scenes commentary of one scene, one act, one character, one aspect of the play or the whole damn thing, just e-mail me and I'll post it up here.


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