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This is the most popular opera production so far on DVD, surpassing evenFranco Zeffirelli's lavish, symbol-laden La Traviata. It is an excitingCarmen, with a young-looking Placido Domingo in top form for a role hehas sung hundreds of times. For Julia Migenes, it was her first performance in arole she would have trouble performing in an opera house. Her voice does not fiteasily into Carmen's range, and she spent months training it, very successfully,before singing the role in a recording studio where the soundtrack was tapedbefore the film was shot. Casting her in the role was a gamble, but it worked;she is a convincing actress--even better than Maria Ewing in the competing DVD edition from CoventGarden, though Ewing acts very well and has a more appropriate voice.

This movie version was filmed on location, conveying a kind of atmosphere, asense of space, movement, and presence hard to achieve in a staged performanceshot for television. It takes the action out of doors for many scenes. Theopening titles are superimposed on the bloody conclusion of a bullfight. Thechanging of the guard in the opening scene, with the boys' chorus playingsoldier, the crowd scenes, the dance number that opens Act II, the panoramicscenery of the smugglers' mountain hideout, all benefit from the freedom grantedby movie cameras. But the music is, on the whole, more effectively performed inthe Covent Garden production, which also handles close-up shots better, perhapsbecause it was directed with a small screen in mind. The opera house atmospherewill make hard-core opera fans feel more at home. The movie version uses theopera's original opera comique form with some spoken dialogue rather thanrecitatives. --Joe McLellan ... Read more

Reviews (58)

fantastic
This in one of the most delightful (in fact the most delightful) opera movies I have ever seen. The first amazing thing is that there are no cuts in the score.

About the cast...well...incredible...
Domingo sings Don Jose incredibly. No contemporary tenor is his equal. Carreras and Lima (the other 2 don jose on DVD) are just not as good as him. Domingo also has a good french accent...which is a must in this opera.

Migenes: well I can't understand some other reviewers who accused her of ruining the performance. I thought she was incredible. She is an amazing actress. Although she never sang carmen on stage, she has however a very deep understanding in the role...perfectly reflected in this movie.

The toreador (raimondi) and micaella are also good. Well..overall the cast is great ...and the decor is AMAZING...the opening scene is a bit brutal...but also...what can i say...the music in the prelude IS brutal and the sets are just following the music..isn't that opera???

I highly recommend this DVD.

I don't get the hype.
I guess all other opera movies are laughably bad, so when this halfway decent production of Carmen comes along it's suddenly a masterpiece. Let's not be too quick to give it a standing ovation. Don Jose is one of Domingo's signature roles and he sings it beautifully, but the horrendous camera work of this film makes him appear too stiff and cold, especially during scenes with Micaela. The beginning is way too gross and way too long, and the big scenes like the "Tor-ee-a-dor" seem sort of worthless after sitting through the slow sections. My big problem with this movie is Migenes. She can't do anything except dance and wiggle in a sexy manner which seems to fulfill the role at first but, by the end, makes her effort less satisfying because it's really all she knows how to do. She just couldn't sing it and she needs to shave under her arms. A really over-rated film. Yes, it's hard not to enjoy Carmen, but in my opinion even the beautifully lavish scenery couldn't save this. An average attempt at best.

Busty, Lusty and Dusty
One of the best Opera Movies.
Oh sure Opera purists will quibble with the choice of Julia Migenes Johnson because she is not a "classic" Carmen.
But believe me, when she seduces Don Jose while she is being detained, I too was seduced. In some other operatic productions on film the only way you could tell the leading lady was beautiful or seductive was because the characters told you, despite the obvious proof to the contrary.
In this beautifully shot film Carmen is not a ravishing beauty, if anything Micaela (Faith Esham, who is, by contrast, lovely and whose voice in both the duet with Don Jose and her solo later on, soars as high as the mountains in the background) is a doll. She's a good girl and his mama's choice for his future.
Don Jose's career path is also set. He's a good soldier and due for promotion. Yet he'll throw it all away on a promise of Manzanilla and some hot lovin' and we believe it because Julia Johnson sells it.
The film portrays Carmen as a 21st Century woman stuck in a dusty backwater world, where strict formalities are mocked by the common folk (witness the children mocking the soldiers in the beginning). She's not a slut, she's a playful flirt who doesn't recognize Jose's seriousness.
I can quibble with some things myself, for example the aforementioned duet between Jose and Micaela is shown in a long shot that feels like it goes on forever. Give me a couple of close ups, please. I understand their wanting to show the stiffness and formality (and distance?) between the two, but there's no need to bore us; and there maybe too much dust swirling about as the peasants dance about, but you do get a sense of reality often missing in operas (or even movie musicals when shot on location, like West Side Story, though shot in Manhattan, where was the garbage?)
This movie works on the two levels it strives for. The opera is wonderfully performed by both singers and orchestra. The story is timeless and the plot easy to swallow. Cinematography is top notch, and though the direction could have been more imaginative
this is more than a good opera movie, this is a good movie.

The best of Domingo's !
It is wonderfully singed, gloriously staged and unbelievably truthful opera. One may dislike the film -like settings but they do work as intended. It is dynamic, south -France flavored, sunny and tragic Carmen. I know only another Domingo's DVD that may pair with this one, the "Cavaleria rusticana".

Carmen singing not too good
The visuals of the film is very good and atmospheric, except for the bullfighting scenes which are too gory. As for the singings, Placido Domingo does an excellent job, but not so Julia Migenes. Sometimes I can't tell whether it is just her singing style or she is out of breath. She may not ruin the film but she is not very pleasant to hear. Having a sexing acting Carmen may appeal to a lot of people, but this is not the reason I listen to opera. ... Read more

Description

In CHRIST STOPPED AT EBOLI, director Francesco Rosi’s stunning adaptation of Carlo Levi’s novel, Gian Maria Volonte (FISTFUL OF DOLLARS; FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE) stars as Levi, one of many intellectuals exiled by the Fascist government during World War II.Banished to Gagliano, an ancient mountain village in southern Italy, Volonte discovers the stark beauty of the landscape as well as the resilience of the peasants, who have lived there for generations.The legendary Irene Papas (ERENDIRA; Z; CAPTAIN CORELLI’S MANDOLIN) costars as the earthy Giulia, a housekeeper who teaches the sophisticated writer about the dignity of people who live close to the land.Francesco Rosi (THREE BROTHERS; SALVATORE GIULIANO) offers an authentic but moving story against a historical backdrop, stunningly photographed in rich detail. ... Read more

Description

Award-winning director Martin Scorsese (GANGS OF NEW YORK) presents an epic, true story that was cheered by moviegoers and critics alike. Acclaimed actor John Turturro (MR. DEEDS, O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?) delivers a powerful performance as a man whose life is changed forever by World War II. His incredible adventure begins after the war ends and he embarks on a thousand-mile journey back home to Italy. Along the way, he faces great odds ... but rediscovers the simple joys of life that the war threatened to destroy forever -- friendship, love, laughter, and, most important of all, a sense of hope. This motion picture masterpiece promises to stir your soul and touch your heart -- don't miss it! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

THE best film I've seen in years .
THE best film I've seen in years .
Primo ( John Turturro in his best role )is a survivor of Auschwitz , survivor of Holocaust . He is Italian Jew saved by Russians at the end of WWII . All he wants is so simple - just to go home . But railroads are destroyed and he has to make a detour true Minsk ( Minsk is a capital of Belorussia . Minsk is a hometown of my mother . Minsk is the city where only 4 buildings was still standing after WWII . Minsk is the city which my mother had to leave when she was 2 years old and hide under the horse cart during the air strikes ... she still can't talk about it .)At the same time he need to learn how to live usual life , how to look without scare , without pain . How to live at all .
What makes this film 10 stars out of 5 ... little details , the feeling , the scare in everyone's eyes . I know this feeling . I know this scare . I don't want to remember it , but this film brought it back . And especially now I think everyone have to learn it ... before it is too late .
This film is very slow and very deep . Acting on highest level - I even forgot that this is actors "acting". What shocked me most - the details , just little things which are so important ,
This film have to be watched by everyone and taken deep into our hearts . This kind of story might and have to change our world for better .

"russianwriter"

the long journey home
If posible, I would award ten stars to the film version of Primo Levi's "La Tregua". This is a superb movie about what happened to the prisoners of Auschwitz after their liberation by the Red Army. The role of Primo, an Italian Jew, is played brilliantly by John Turturro. Along with survivors of various nationalities, the band of liberated Italians is taken to a transition camp run by Soviet medical personnel. Here the survivors recover from their ordeal, rebuilding their strength for the long journey home. A chemist by profession, Primo joins the Soviet medical staff until the train finally arrives to transport everyone home. Unfortunately, the railroad track has been everywhere destroyed by war, necessitating a prolonged and circuituous route through Minsk. During the trip, the Holocaust survivors are dependent on the limited supplies of the Red Army and the generosity of impoverished Soviet citizens.

The Italian language is "dubbed" in accented English for this American film, and a variety of foreign languages -- Russian, Polish, Ukranian, German, French -- are spoken without subtitles. This very realistically conveys the confusion and frustration experienced by the survivors. The audience, like Primo, must rely on translators or simply decipher some dialogue from context or pantomime. By utilizing panoramic filming of scenery, changing gradually from dreary winter to spring to early summer, the movie gives a strong sense of the interminable duration of the journey home. Recurrent throughout the film are eerie black-and-white flashbacks to the horror of Auschwitz. Some of these are wrenching. Overall,though, the theme is of hope, and of camaraderie and kindness helping to heal the wounds of the Holocaust. Watching "Truce" is an emotional experience, depicting true events that must never be forgotten.

All-encompassing, amazing drama
I rarely write reviews. This film compels in more ways than words can express. It has it all: soul, humor, a teaching conscience, which is rare in film today. It is well-made and well-directed, and the acting is superb and convincing. I saw it several times in the theater and anticipate owning my own copy. This is the kind of film that should be required viewing in today's college history classes when World War II is covered--learning "what happened next" is as important as the events themselves, so that we can see the results of our actions, or our inactions.

Moving
A beautiful, meaningful film, one that makes you cry and think. Something that everybody should see. well acted and well directed

excellent!
Excellent, excellent, and I don't say this lightly. This film covers the time period AFTER the war. I have traveled throughout the area in which the film took place and it truly captures the gray, cold mood of the area in winter. As the main character, Primo, progresses through his post war disillusion into a semblance of understanding, nature also heals and spring begins. A post Holocaust film which reminds us once again what it means to be human and kind...Not for children. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

good movie but....
Hands down the worst transfer to dvd I've ever seen. If you know Italian you'll still have the subs on because the sound is totally messed up. Dialogue comes in ever so faintly through the front left speaker instead of the center (and all the speakers are providing hiss. 5.0 surround hiss sound. and the image appears to be transfered from a video source instead of original elements. Result: video burps and vibrating black bars. Ridiculous. Normally I fall back and say: hey, at least it's available at all...but in this case I won't. This is very unpleasant viewing experience.

Emotionally brillant
One of the best Italian films from the 1980's. Rosi' direction is top notch - one of the few films where the director's craft shines through magnanimously. Brilliant acting and beautiful story telling. And amazing, emotional journal that is more meditative drama than high drama. Stunning visuals and great cinematography. Brillant!

3 Brothers - an obscure masterpiece
If you love Italian films, see this...

The story is of 3 brothers who have lost their emotional bond and must deal with it after being reunited at their mothers funeral. Charles Vanel (Wages of Fear - also plays a great cameo in Rosi's 'Illustrious Corpses') plays their father and Philippe Noiret's Judge character brings in a resonance and subtext of 70's Italian terrorism that plays rather freshly in America post 9/11.

Make no mistake, this is an all-star cast, with no American scenery chewing or faux sentiment. Vittorio Mezzogiorno is virtually unknown in the U.S. and that is a crime...watch this 20 times :) ... Read more

Description

Who murdered Salvatore Giuliano? July 5, 1950-the infamous bandit'sbullet-riddled corpse is found facedown in a courtyard in Castelvetrano, Sicily, a handgunand rifle by his side. At the age of twenty-seven, Giuliano (Frank Wolff) was then bothItaly's most wanted criminal and most celebrated hero of his day. In this groundbreakingwork of investigative filmmaking, director Francesco Rosi harnesses the facts and mythssurrounding the true story of Giuliano's death, creating a searching and startling exposéof Sicily and the web of relations between her citizens, the Mafia, the military, andgovernment officials. ... Read more