Carmen [Blu-ray]

I had this opera for years on a VHS tape. I watched it in 1990 with a lady friend one night when she was on duty managing a group home. She later was taken a degenerative illness but I treasured the experience of seeing her enjoyment with her first opera view. Now I was glad to have this version. Thanks.

This was my comment on the condition of the tape of Carmen I got from Amazon, the class that I mention was my rebuttal to Carmen. I explain in that class that I loved the sound track to Carmen but I was surprised to find that the translation revealed the evil side of women in this movie. I think the reason why heaven blessed this with such good music was in the song by Mary Poppins, "A spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down". The truth can be a bit hard to swallow, but this well done movie was the first time the evil side of women was so clearly conveyed to me. My rebuttal to the evil side of women is told better on my first class, (#1a at Vimeo), but the last class sums this movie of Carmen better.Dear Mike Libby, I got the tape in a few days and copied it to a dvd (it came in perfect), so I could record a class over it. That's class #127x12 at MikeOversonEndTimes-org. I talk about Carmen and show a few scenes of it in the first 30 minutes, you can tell I recorded over that tape at the very end (at 2:08 minutes). It was a perfect tape to record my "LAST CLASS & GOODBYE" on. (Because the evil side of women has ended the magic and wisdom heaven was sharing with "the one" to share with the public through these classes, and that made Carmen the perfect tape to record my "last class & goodbye" on). Thank you that it was in such good condition. (Class 127x13 is a 53 minute summary of 127x12 that I did for Vimeo, under MikeOversonEndTimes.) I just looked at every review of Carmen and didn't find one by Leonard Maltin. However John A Furner's review: "Maltin's Carmen review is brain dead" was right next to my review. Being "the one" I've learned about the evil games they play on the internet to discredit, mock or slander what I'm doing, and this is an example of it. Fortunately for me, God has a way of complementing the things I do, and that includes even this movie review I did of Carmen. Before I tell it, I'll provide the instant knee jerk reaction to mock me and that is: "U R so vain!". That was the "Final Cut Express" I got on 10-12-09, (mocking me as U R so vain), that caused me to record "MY LAST CLASS AND GOODBYE" over the tape of Carmen the next day on 10-13-09. The amazing complement I found was in the lyrics to the song "Daniel" by Elton John. Though I've only seen (and loved) Spain on a tour video and in Carmen, I believe the lyrics refer to my premature death, that's from God ending my classes and my life soon due to "no thanks, no pay and no respect". As it says in the song: "Daniel is traveling tonight on a plane, I can see the red tail lights heading for Spain, oh I can see Daniel waving goodbye, God it looks like Daniel, must be the clouds in my eyes... Daniel my brother you are older than me, do you still feel the pain of the scars that won't heal, YOU'RE EYES HAVE DIED but you see more than I...Oh I can see Daniel waving goodbye, God it looks like Daniel, must be the clouds in my eyes".

We enjoyed this edition of Carmen. Very well done. Scenes which could never be duplicated on a stage.

Amazon may not put this review in the right place. You will want the version with the cover photo with Migenes (Carmen) on the left, Domingo (Don Jose) on the right, Bizet's Carmen in red letters above, and a soldier with women at the bottom. It should come up in this link: Bizet - Carmen / Maazel, Migenes, Domingo DVD This is the version you must get if you love Carmen (because of removable subtitles, which I will get to in just a moment). I saw this in the movie theaters when it came out circa 1984, and it's even better than I remember. It is so colorful, gritty, and realistic--one can almost smell the cigars, the sweat, the offal in the arena. Also--it is just about the most perfectly lip-synch'ed film recording I have ever seen, from all involved.In short, it is nearly a perfect film on opera, certainly the best Carmen on video, and one of the best if not very best opera films ever made. The only thing wrong with it, it's too good. That is in the sense that other film-makers see it and say, "Yes, see, opera on film is possible, therefore we can do it too." And they cut corners everywhere, don't take time to get the lip-synch perfect, and the result is horrible.It is beyond 5 stars, but it is out-of-print, and I see Amazon is including this review in with reviews of the newer release of the same movie, the one with non-removable English subtitles!! MAJOR PROBLEM!! No, no, no, you do not want this opera with non-removable English subtitles. It just destroys everything :-(This, of all opera films, must be seen without subtitles. Now, if you must have subtitles, this one DOES give you the CHOICE of English, French, Spanish, or OFF. I think you will want to learn your Carmen from some other average production with subtitles, then come to this production WITHOUT them. To repeat: you can ONLY do that with this out-of-print Gaumont / Columbia Tri-Star version.It's been out of print for several years, and so it is expensive. I had to spring $80 for a new unopened copy--about 5 times more than an average new opera DVD. Trust me, if you are into opera, it is worth more than 5 other opera DVD's. I am afraid if you get the newer version, you'll be disappointed. That is my 2 cents. Your decision :)

I have watched with a lot of pleasure to this production who originally was made by Biset for performing on stage but now, in a modern version, is made to a movie version.

This is quite, quite superb. It is a production of Carmen that I don't believe could be bettered. It features a very young slim and handsome Placido Domingo as Don Jose and the most amazing and TRULY sexy and sensual temptress playing Carmen that you will EVER see. She is truly breathtaking and her voice as well as her acting is quite simply a joy in every sense. She actually affects your senses in am amazing way and listening to her is pleasure on the scale of 11/10. This amazing lady is called Julia Migenes and she is the show stealer; for me anyway, she is the true star. I love Carmen but never have I seen a better one. She oozes seduction and sensuality and she is truly irrisistable and its easy to see why and to easily believe that all the men can't resist her and boy is it deserved. Watch her and as a woman she could teach you a few things, as a man you would just fall so hard, she is not gorgeous she is sexational. This is not a stage production with an audience its filmed like a film location and it is from start to finish a truly wonderful production. I cannot rate it highly enough. Even if opera is not your favourite, I would challenge you to really not enjoy this.

This review is for the newly restored Blu-ray version of Carmen. This filmed version has been reviewed many times but as far as I am aware only two other persons have reviewed the Blu-ray versions. With this in mind I will concentrate my attention on the technical quality of the disc. Suffice to say that I agree wholeheartedly with the majority of people who commend the quality of the performance. It is superb and Julia Migenes is a fabulous Carmen. So sexy! How could anyone fail to be seduced by such a performance!But now I must turn my attention to the video quality. I should say at the outset that video quality is important to me and I expect high standards from Blu-ray discs. However, there are many films of a similar vintage where the Blu-ray restoration has been far more effective. At the start of film the quality was reasonably good but it has to be said that the video quality dropped off as the film progressed and the quality soon deteriorated during the outside night scenes or where the lighting levels were lower. The video is on the soft side and the picture sharpness is only up to medium to good dvd levels - certainly not Blu-ray quality. I suspect that the fault lies with the original print rather than the restorative process. Who was the lighting engineer, I wonder? The video quality does improve quite a bit in the final 2 chapters but that does not wholly compensate for the large proportion of the film where the quality is not even up to a good modern dvd.However, this is a historic film with fabulous performances from all the lead singers. For me it is the benchmark Carmen, despite a slight disappointment with the video quality. There is a choice of soundtracks, all of which are good although I preferred the 5.1 HD Master Sound mix. There is a good picture within picture chapter selection and the disc comes with a couple of informative extras. Most of these extras are in standard definition and at least one is reassured that the Blu-ray version is an improvement on the standard dvd.The video quality must lead to a drop in the star rating. However, rest assured that the performance is top rate and is deserving of 5 stars!

I recently watched `Carmen Jones' which is the `musical' version of Carmen, adapted to a more modern / American setting. I found it first class entertainment and really enjoyed it.So to this, an outdoor filming of the opera with authentic opera singing, which the musical obviously lacked in totality, though, I have to say I still enjoyed the former equally as much!The Spanish set film version has wonderful scenery and singing for sure, the HD is lovely, the plot essentially is of course very similar to that of the musical version, except that, it's the authentic version of course : teasing gypsy girl, infatuated soldier & equally infatuated Toreador, instead of: good looking factory girl, infatuated GI and must have heavyweight champ!Both work wonderfully well and both are both are very easy to follow, the latter with sub titles of course.You can get as `snobby' as you like about the singing, but essentially the rest is about the acting and the filming, and most importantly the `WOW' factor. I'm giving both four stars.What next then? Well, I could buy the stage version of Carmen on DVD to complete the set, but Instead, as I've really enjoyed the experience of `Carmen,' I've decided to see it live on stage in a month's time . I'm hoping that the atmosphere inside a theatre, with an orchestra / choir, the set, costumes and live singing will take it all to a different level?Footnote - 12th November 2014I saw Carmen at the Bristol Hippodrome - Welsh National Opera with its own 50-piece Orchestra. Need less to say, I really enjoyed it. However, I felt the sets were a little uninspiring and this highlighted how nice it is to have such wonderful scenery on the film versions - something the theatre can't match most of the time. So, the conclusion? I have to say that each version has its own merits? 4 stars for each then!

Maybe more than any other opera, Carmen lends itself to being made into a film, and it would be difficult to do this any better than has been achieved in this superb production. Apart from anything else, the striking landscape in which the action takes place is an inspiration. Since its composer, Georges Bizet (1838-1875), was French, the language of the opera is also French, which is something I've always found rather strange for such an overwhelmingly Spanish drama, and southern Spanish Andalusian at that. The film contains some bull fighting scenes which some viewers might find distressing. However, since a bullfighter and his profession are central to the plot, it's just as well to be realistic and show these scenes, which may very well turn even more people against this cruel sport.It's never difficult to find something we don't like about even the best productions. In this respect it might be said that, although Placido Domingo sings superbly in the role of Don Jose, his acting is sometimes not quite good as it might be. Conversely, it might be said of Julia Migenes that, although she looks and acts the part of Carmen superbly, her voice does not always match up to her seductiveness. However, I must say that I don't go along with this line of reasoning. Since characters featuring in great works of art such as novels, short stories, poems and operas, are inevitably open to a variety of interpretations, it would be against the very raison d'etre of art if it were to be confined in the straight-jacket of pre-conceived presentation. Both Julia Migenes and Placido Domingo bring their own interpretations and singing qualities to these roles. Just as acting can be under or over played, so can singing be under or over sung.For me, Juilia Migenes gets it just right. It's all too easy to overplay the personality of Carmen when she first comes out from the cigarette factory when, although she's regarded as a fiery beauty, her personality has yet to evolve into that of the fatalistically determined character we see more and more of as the action unfolds. It's a tribute to Julia Migenes that she sings and acts every nuance of this development in dramatic and attention holding fashion. As the bull dies from the final thrust of the matador's sword so Carmen also dies from the thrust of Don Jose's knife. Carmen is not an opera star; she's a gypsy and Julia Migenes looks like a gypsy, acts like a gypsy and sings like a gypsy. She's not just acting; she is Carmen.Faith Esham is perfect as Micaela and Ruggero Raimondi is convincing as the bullfighter. In fact, everything about this well directed and produced film is as good as it gets for this genre and it's encouraging that most of those who have watched it like it very much. Happy, as I am, to belong to this appreciative list, it give me great pleasure to add yet another five stars to this blu-ray, now one of my cherished possessions.

Opera films are not always very successful but this version of Carmen is a triumph. Immense effort has gone into the production values concerning space, choice of locations , proper authenticity and the handling of large crowd scenes. Neither the music score nor the singing can be faulted. The choice of the petite Julia Migenes for the title role was inspired casting. The actress/singer looks absolutely right, she is totally in charge of Carmen's mercurial disposition and mistress of the character's changing emotions (fixation, disappointment, irritation and finally contempt) in her relations with the hapless Don Jose. The only performance to nearly match her is that given by Agnes Baltsa in the Metropolitan's lavish 1987 production. Despite his fine singing Placido Domingo does not come across as being entirely at ease as Don Jose and gives a rather stiff performance. In the final confrontation with Carmen he looks too much the gentleman and it is hard to accept that this once devoted son is now a fanatic contemplating murder. In the expanded part of Escamillo Ruggero Raimondi is totally convincing as the bullfighter. The fine soprano Faith Esham, who deserves to be better known, sings the part of Micaela beautifully but although her looks convey both Micaela's innocence and vunerability she is a rather selfconscious actressA word of warning for those concerned with animal welfare. The film's opening credits are mounted on a film sequence graphically depicting the final miseries and ritual execution of an exhausted bull. The not over convincing reason for such a begining are explained in a special feature (Carmen, a Shooting Diary) but whatever the relevance the sequence has the power to both distress and offend.Trottman