Carmen - Bizet (1984)
by Claire J Rottenberg
The film version of Georges Bizet's opera "Carmen"
was released in 1984. It had a superb cast of major
opera performers, including Placido Domingo, Julia
Migenes-Johnson and Ruggero Raimondi.
The original opera was first performed in Paris in
1875 but it was not successful initially. Bizet died
just three months after the opening, so he never
experienced the joy of seeing "Carmen" become one of
the world's best-loved and most popular operas.
I first saw a live production of the opera "Carmen"
at the age of 11 or 12 but I would not recommend this
PG-rated film version for preteens. It is a raw,
raunchy and, at times, violent version with sensuous
scenes of seduction. The film opens with a graphic
scene of a wounded bull in a bullfight.
The film is sung and spoken in French but the DVD
version offers subtitles in several languages. It is
a good length, running only two hours.
The music of Bizet's "Carmen" is wonderful. It is
lively, passionate and memorable. After viewing this
film version, I'm certain audiences left the theater
humming the famous "Toreador" song or some of the
other easily remembered arias. It is probably one of
the most memorable and easily hummed scores of an
opera.
In addition to beautiful music, "Carmen" has an
interesting and suspenseful story of passion, love,
sex, and violence. The music, of course, perfectly
complements the plot and keeps the audience involved
in the action. The music and libretto of "Carmen"
form a perfect whole, especially with the realistic
settings of the film version.
The cast of the 1984 film version of "Carmen" could
not be better. Julia Migenes-Johnson has a beautiful
voice and portrays Carmen with lust and passion, as
well as defiance and self-assuredness. She is
beautiful and makes a perfect match for heartthrob
opera great, Placido Domingo. His performance, also,
is excellent and, as always, his voice is pure
perfection. The supporting cast, led by Ruggero
Raimondi, is strong and that adds to the excellence
of the production.
The DVD of the 1984 film version of "Carmen" is not
readily available and it can be quite expensive to
acquire a copy, particularly a Region 1 version. But,
if you enjoy opera, it may be worth the effort and
expense to find a copy of "Carmen," either on DVD or
VHS.