Carlos Saura's Carmen is a tense and surreal story of a director who falls in love with the lead actress he has chosen for his stage version of Bizet's Carmen. The acting performances are very good: Antonio Gades as the perfectionist, passionate and contemplative director Antonio and Laura del Sol as Carmen, the epitome of the femme fatale. Their liaison is radiant though doomed to fail.
The foundation for the fatalistic way in which Antonio falls for Carmen lies in the fact that she perfectly fits the persona that he had in mind when searching for his lead actress. Saura cleverly uses the switching between reality, play and a combination of both, which adds to the surreal feel of the film. As a bonus we get an insider's look at the contagious Spanish fervor and joie de vivre. True craftsmanship.
The foundation for the fatalistic way in which Antonio falls for Carmen lies in the fact that she perfectly fits the persona that he had in mind when searching for his lead actress. Saura cleverly uses the switching between reality, play and a combination of both, which adds to the surreal feel of the film. As a bonus we get an insider's look at the contagious Spanish fervor and joie de vivre. True craftsmanship.