If you thought that "Dirty Dancing" brought dancing to its on-screen apex, then wait 'til you see Carlos Saura's "Carmen". Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, this movie depicts a dance instructor prepping his students for a production of Bizet's opera. I should admit that I've never seen a production of "Carmen" itself, although I've seen Otto Preminger's "Carmen Jones", which transferred the story to the southeast US and featured an entirely African-American cast (a bold move for a Hollywood production at the time).

Even having never seen the opera, I gotta admire the passion that these dancers put into their performances. Flamenco is an art unlike any other in the world, and I'd venture to say that this movie shows it at its best, and its most intense. Definitely see it.

While rehearing Carmen of Bizet, the middle-aged choreographer Antonio (Antonio Gades) brings the sexy Carmen (Laura del Sol) to perform the lead role. Antonio falls in love for Carmen, who is an independent and seductive woman incapable to accept a possessive love. When Carmen has an affair with another dancer, Antonio is consumed by his jealousy like D. José in the original opera, entwining fiction with reality.

"Carmen" is another great movie of Carlos Saura's trilogy dedicated to the Flamenco dance. The dramatic love story is developed with the lives of the artists entwined with the characters they are rehearsing, and many times is not absolutely clear whether what is happening is reality (with the dancers) or fiction (of the play). Paco de Lucia is another attraction of this original version of the famous Bizet's opera, which is based on the novel of Prosper Mérimée. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Carmen"

This did look like an interesting film and it absolutely was, not to mention that it was a brilliant movie in its own right. Visually, Carmen is stunning, with ravishing cinematography, sumptuous colour and costumes and costumes and scenery that are enough to take the breath away. The music is magnificent as well and performed with authentic flavour which makes the experience even more passionate. The choreography is very vivid and shows a big amount of technical, even virtuosic brilliance, while the Flamenco dancing is not only efficient but the dancers actually show they're into it. The story is still as beautiful and passionate as ever, while the performances of Antonio Gades and Laura De Sol are superb and the two are riveting together. Every scene is compelling, but my favourite is the Poker scene which is one of the better scenes of any film I've seen recently. In conclusion, a must watch. 9/10 Bethany Cox