CARLOS SAURA
Bil’s rating (out of 5): BB.5.
Original title: Flamenco de Carlos Saura
Spain, 1995. Canal+ Espana, Juan Lebrón Producciones, Junta de Andalucía, RTVA Radio Television de Andalucia, Sociedad General de Autores, Sogepaq. Screenplay by Carlos Saura. Cinematography by Vittorio Storaro. Produced by Juan Lebrón. Music by José Miguel Carmona, Juan Carmona. Production Design by Rafael Palmero. Costume Design by Amelia, Rafael Palmero, Graciela Rubio. Film Editing by Pablo G. del Amo. Toronto International Film Festival 1995.
As in Carmen and Tango, Carlos Saura has once again paid tribute to a traditional form of Spanish music and dance, in this case the beautiful art of flamenco. He films various talents from around the world as they perform different forms of flamenco, from the most traditional to the more modern fusion styles (including a performance by the very popular Joaquín Cortés). The music is gorgeous, but the subtitles don’t tell you anything besides the name of the song and the style of it and the narration is confined to a few opening lines, leaving any non-Spanish speaking viewer frustrated and, eventually, bored. That said, it’s a memorable cultural experience for anybody with the slightest bit of interest in music. As with Tango, the experience is heightened by beautiful cinematography by Vittorio Storaro.
