Carmen Jones, based on the book by Oscar Hammerstein II
Given the acclaim, the recognition
received by this musical, it is perhaps surprising to reject it, as this viewer
did, in spite of the two Academy Award nominations, for Best Actress in a Leading
Role and Best Music, the two wins at the Golden Globes: Best Motion Picture –
Comedy or Musical and Most Promising New Comer
Maybe even more serious and
therefore more important, this motion picture was included on the final list,
Nominated for the Palme d’Or, probably the most relevant award- even more
revealing than the Oscar-at the Cannes Festival, and a nominee for the Best
Film from any Source at the BAFTAs.
Finally, this feature appears on The
New York Times’ Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made list available here:
One can look at this two ways:
first, and probably the best
perspective would be of appreciating the modern- although sixty four years old-
adaptation of Carmen by Georges Bizet, which makes the story popular and available
to mainstream audiences, those people who never enter the sophisticated and inaccessible,
also expensive Opera Houses.
Maintaining a positive attitude-
which is by the way the key to a long, successful professional and private
life, as multiple positive psychology studies confirm- we need to appreciate the
promotion in leading roles of African American characters, they are also
present in the other, supporting and extra roles, but the main issue is their prominence
as the most important personages.
The second view would lament the
dilution and the “stealing „of the subject, taking a more prestigious art form-
the Carmen famous opera – and “diminishing it, making it smaller, less
appealing, exhilarating by dragging it down, and for some extreme music lovers,
it could even mean destroying their beloved Carmen.
“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so” from Hamlet,
Shakespeare
At the same time, because the
soundtrack has all the famous- even for nonprofessionals, those who never walk
into the Opera – tunes from Carmen, the music is astounding, reminding one of
another famous quote:
”De la musique avant toute chose” Paul
Verlaine
In Carmen Jones, everything happens
at an army camp, where everyone is African American- most likely because of the
despicable segregation laws applied at the time, and long after that.
Carmen Jones aka Carmen from the
original Georges Bizet chef d’oeuvre is the star of the show, admired, wanted
and difficult, persistent, brave, determined, gritty and looking to get another
woman’s man.
Evidently, if the man is actually
willing to forget his fiancée and succumb to the seducing powers of the
protagonist, Carmen is probably doing all those involved a favor, for the alleged
love is just an infatuation, given its frailty.
The famous bullfighting becomes
boxing in a new age musical drama that is surely worth watching: panels at the
Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTAs, The New York Times and most importantly the
Cannes Festival cannot all be wrong!
Although, having said that, aren’t
the original lyrics sublime, enchanting, mesmerizing and glorious?
“L'amour est un oiseau rebelle
Que nul ne peut apprivoiser
Et c'est bien en vain qu'on l'appelle
C'est lui qu'on vient de nous refuser
Rien n'y fait, menaces ou prieres
L'un parle bien, l'autre se tait
Et c'est l'autre que je prefere
Il n'a rien dit mais il me plait
L'amour, l'amour, l'amour, l'amour
L'amour est enfant de boheme
Il n'a jamais jamais connu de lois
Si tu ne m'aimes pas je t'aime
Si je t'aime prend garde a toi
Si tu ne m'aimes pas
Si tu ne m'aimes pas je t'aime
Mais si je t'aime, si je t'aime
Prends garde a toi
L'oiseau que tu croyais surprendre
Battit de l'aile et s'envola
L'amour est loin, tu peux l'attendre
Tu ne l'attends plus, il est la
Tout autour de toi, vite, vite
Il vient, s'en va puis il revient
Tu crois le tenir, il t'evite
Tu crois l'eviter, il te tient
L'amour, l'amour, l'amour, l'amour
L'amour est enfant de boheme
Il n'a jamais jamais connu de lois
Si tu ne m'aimes pas je t'aime
Si je t'aime prend garde a toi
Si tu ne m'aimes pas
Si tu ne m'aimes pas je t'aime
Mais si je t'aime, si je t'aime
Prends garde a toi”
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