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Carmen Details

1984 Certificate PG
  • Rated:
  • 70
  • from 537 members

A fine screen adaptation of Bizet's popular opera. Lorin Maazel conducts the French National Orchestra and Chorus and the French Radio Chorus. Sung in French. Read more

Starring Placido Domingo, Julia Migenes-Johnson, Ruggero Raimondi, Faith Esham
Director Francesco Rosi
Genres Music/Musical, World Cinema

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Carmen cover art

Carmen

A fine screen adaptation of Bizet's popular opera. Lorin Maazel conducts the French National Orchestra and Chorus and the French Radio Chorus. Sung in French.

Starring Placido Domingo, Julia Migenes-Johnson, Ruggero Raimondi, Faith Esham
Director Francesco Rosi
Studio SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Run time DVD: 2 hrs 29 mins
Certificate Certificate PG
Genres Music/Musical, World Cinema
Language DVD: French
Subtitles DVD: Arabic, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish
Released DVD: 13 Mar 2000
Production year: 1984
Format DVD

  • Critics' reviews (2) of Carmen

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  • 4 stars out of 5

    Having been performed by an all-black cast and as a flamenco ballet, Georges Bizet's adaptation of Prosper Mérimée's short story is here cloaked in realism by Italian director Francesco Rosi. There's nothing stylised about the Andalusian settings in which the fiercely independent Julia Migenes-Johnson exploits her relationship with besotted soldier Placido Domingo. Poverty gnaws at the bones of everyone who works in the hellish cigarette factory, yet cinematographer Pasqualino De Santis's control of colour is so inspired that he manages to make the rundown buildings seem the perfect place for inflamed passion. A treat for both eye and ear.

    • Radio Times
    • Posted 29 Jan 2006

  • "...The definitive screen adaptation....A full-scale unembarrassed screen opera..."

    • New York Times
    • Posted 11 Mar 2005

  • Most helpful member's review of Carmen

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  • 5 out of 6 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    Captivating!

    This production is lush and brings the story alive. Filmed on location in hot and dusty Spain the passion leaps out of the screen - even if you don't like opera or understand French, you'll love this. I was going to see Carmen live at the theatre, but I'll save my ?30 and watch this again instead. The sub-titles and repetition of phrases is also perfect for budding students of French!

      • Penny from Dunstable, England
      • Posted 23 Feb 2004 12:27

  • Most recent members' review of Carmen

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  • 3 out of 3 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 3 stars

    Good effort, spoilt by sound quality and direction

    A brave effort to film this opera - the settings and costumes are wonderful, as are the singers, who all look the part, and the singing ia wonderful. Unfortunately the sound balance seems all wrong, with the background sounds given great prominence, and the soloists sometimes, but at others lost in a mushy background, along with the chorus and orchestra. The other drawback is the strange choice, often at the most dramatic moments, for the soloists to be in the middle distance, and often facing away from the camera! Still worth seeing, especially for the seduction scenes.

      • A customer from South Queensferry, Scotland
      • Posted 08 Jun 2005 16:26

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Rating breakdown

537 Member ratings
  • 100
86
  • 90
44
  • 80
88
  • 70
76
  • 60
91
  • 50
51
  • 40
35
  • 30
25
  • 20
29
  • 10
12

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