Review of La tragédie de Carmen

Many "stagy" productions come across on screen as little more than aides memoires--referring the viewers back to the 'real' production.

Brook manages to create an intense, even overwhelming cinematic experience from this condensed and almost rarefied production, combining Bizet's music with a balletic performance of the drama. He has tried more than once to make successful film out of great stage productions (Marat/Sade, Mahabharata)--this is by far the greatest success *as film.*