User Reviews

I had seen two of the most fascinating film versions of "Carmen" in the mid-Eighties: (a) Francesco Rosi's Italian version that won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA award with two of the most accomplished tenors (Placido Domingo and Ruggero Raimondi) playing leads roles that had spoken dialogs to punctuate the singing, and (b) Carlos Suara's Spanish version with flamingo dancers that won a Prize at Montreal film festival and a Bodil award for the Best European film. It was difficult to conceive that another production could be made to outshine either of these. Yet here was a South African director making a version of Carmen (his debut at that) in South Africa's tongue clicking Xhosa language capturing all the elements of accomplished filmmakers Rosi and Suara with a felicity of a veteran filmmaker to walk way with a Golden Bear at the Berlin Festival this year.

A bullfight in Cape Town shantytown suburbs? Director Mark Dornford-May suggests the bullfight with a single shot of a bull in a paddock, an actor holding a dagger, and the sound of an animal in pain—nothing else. Sex is suggested off-screen, never shown. The story and music of the Opera Carmen is retained religiously with local color thrown in: a Bible-reading police sergeant who had earlier killed his own brother and glibly lied to his own mother and police about the incident, women who taunt men in almost equal terms, and the singing talent of black South Africans. This was a major film at the just concluded Dubai International Film Festival.

There are two ways to enjoy the film: (a) Imbibe the variation of presenting the famous musical work in an unusual setting and (b) savor the film as a documentary of modern-day urban South Africa without the music/operatic songs. Either way you will have a treat. I have been to South Africa and what is shown is very close to reality.

The film belongs to the lead actress Pauline Melafane who exudes sensuality, without having to take off her clothes and is the epitome of the opening line: " ..for every fault she had a quality that came out from the contrast…" Her screen presence is incredible and outshines all Carmens on screen to date that I have seen. She is able to blend tragedy and cocky image of a college going student (forget that she is playing an illiterate shantytown dweller!).

Director Dornford-May achieves two objectives with this work: he proves Bizet's Carmen is universal not mere European and that opera can be well produced in obscure languages if there was a will and talent. Bizet would have been proud. The red (the primal color of bullfights) color comes to the fore only in the finale as the color worn by the women and the sheet covering the dead. To win a Golden Bear for a debut film is no mean achievement—more so when the experiment has been attempted by others in the past. The director injected realism in this film, not being limited to mere romance and gallantry—in fact Carmen's lover in this film is an anti-hero, a liar, and a modern-day Cain seeking forgiveness. Rosi and Suara need to take a back seat!

Can anyone imagine the immortal Georges Bizet opera "Carmen" relocated to another continent? Well, that is exactly what the creators of this film decided to do. They moved the location from Seville to a South African township near Cape Town to set the action. The result is an interesting movie in which most of the opera sung in Xhosa.

This is not a typical adaptation of this work because it asks the viewer to make allowances for the way one conceived the classical work. By bringing it to a different geographical location, the characters take new meaning in the action. Carmen, the sultry cigarette factory worker is the object of desire from the good cop, Jongi, who reads the bible. Carmen lures him to work with an expatriate, who is the son of a slain anti apartheid legend.

This work was staged in South Africa and then made into this film. Mark Dornford-May who wrote and directed, probably wanted to present the work with a different point of view but keeping the core of the story and original songs. Pauline Malefane, who plays Carmen, worked in the translation from French into Xhosa with excellent results.

The South African cast does an excellent job in what Mr. Dornford-May set out to accomplish. The characters feel real in the context where they are situated, giving the film a great feeling for what unfolds on screen.

Carmen is one of the best known and widely loved of all operas. Some see opera as a rather distant and high-brow entertainment. This film is quite a different experience! The singing is sublime, the acting dramatic and filled with energy and enthusiasm. The location is grim and poor whilst brimming with life.

I look forward to the DVD where it would be possible to turn off the subtitles - they are well done, but it would be nice to watch it a second time without their intrusion.

It is remarkable how Xhosa lends itself to operatic singing - particularly with such gifted opera singers.

I'd recommend it to anybody who loves music, enjoys a spectacle or is interested in South Africa - well, Cape Town, or a part of Cape Town, at any rate!

I wanted to like this.

I have an abiding interest in South Africa, I like "Carmen", and this seemed like a great idea, however in the event I found myself getting bored about halfway through.

A few of the problems:-

Carmen weighed about 200lbs. I know different cultures have different concepts of beauty, but frankly when you're up against Dorothy Dandridge's spectacular turn in "Carmen Jones" you have to raise your game a little.

I didn't buy any of the characters' attraction to each other. Carmen displayed almost no interest in Jongikhaya, or indeed in the 'Escamillo' character (here a singer rather than a bullfighter or a boxer). Jongikhaya didn't seem particularly interested in Carmen either. OK, sex is more of a private matter in Africa and public displays of affection are more subdued, but there was no discernible chemistry at all here.

Also, the Toreador song has been inexplicably cut out of the film (except for a brief excerpt towards the end). This is one of the high points of the opera, a major plot pivot, and the actor had a great voice, so this was triply baffling.

The camera-work and mise en scene also suffered badly in comparison to the grace and originality of Preminger's movie.

On the positive side, the singing was good, the township locations gritty, realistic and entirely in keeping with the spirit of the opera, and the story was augmented with flashbacks giving some characters a depth absent from the original (and injecting a bit of politics).

I'd like to see how this went down in Khayalitsha (apparently it was premiered in the sports hall where the film climaxes). You have to assume a Xhosa audience will see a lot a European would miss. Ironically most cinemas in the townships show Hollywood movies rather than anything produced locally. Hopefully films like this will begin to change that.

This film, a remake of the opera Carmen set in a South African township and sung in Xhosa, is fantastic. Pauline Malefane was amazing in the role of Carmen. Director Dornford-May played on his experience as a theater director for some real strengths in this movie -- I liked the way he stuck to the Greek theatrical convention of bloodshed happening offstage throughout the film without shirking from the sense of violence underpinning both the original opera and this new setting. The ways in which he wove in quirkier elements from the opera Carmen were delightful (I thought: How on earth is he going to get a bullfighter in here?), and the interplay between the Carmen score and South African music was superb. I loved it.

Well, I've never seen anything quite like it before and I doubt I will ever again. Not being familiar with the Carmen story, it was interesting to watch the plot develop. I'm not sure if you are supposed to like any of the characters in Carmen because you certainly find it a challenge in this picture. Our protagonist seems a strong, gutsy woman but is ultimately doomed to the tragedy of the typical opera. Our male love interest is a comical cardigan-wearing wimp of a man who finds it hard to attract any empathy. The film-making is shoddy, with an obviously miniscule budget, certain scenes are not clear at all and some of the lyrics are extremely repetitive.

On the plus side this film gives an inside view of shanty town South Africa, always feeling authentic, the film was clearly made by people who understand the culture.

All in all the two hours were spent opening my eyes to a very different and interesting adaptation.

Call me a softy, or sentimental, but merging two ancient traditions to see it not only work but enforce each other is nothing short of a miracle. I think it's a victory for the human experience to discover that boundaries are artificial and should be disposed of. I think the clinking and clonking of the stairs and the passing trains during the final scene are plea for honesty and integrity in contemporary cinema. It also shows how stuck up we are in today's operatic environment. The ability to suggest leniency towards what is real in this movie is absolutely brilliant. Watching a movie like this one gives me hope that there are still people out there who believe movie making is a form of expression of what we believe freedom should feel like. Another encouraging element is the sense of community that this movie is exhaling without romanticizing the life of the poor; they're proud of their community, they're proud of their traditions and they love to show it (although no animals were harmed). The only problem I have is that I will never be able to see Carmen, the opera, in the traditional way again. On the other hand, think of the possibilities, Hamlet in the rain forest, Ibsen in Tehran, Brecht in Mumbai - thinks are looking up in the world.

The modern south African set up of "Carmen" does not spoil one bit the thrill of this all times love story. One does not need to reside in SA to understand the local drama and flavor added to the story. This country is vibrant and full of color and rhythm and thus a local "Carmen" brings up the best in it. The production is sang in Xhosa, one of the 11 official languages of SA and subtitled in English. It is set up in Khayelitsha, a township near Cape Town. It stars Pauline Malefane, a professional singer who grew up in Khayelitsha and who translated the script into Xhosa. It won critical acclaim when it premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival where it won the Golden Bear award. A must see for all opera lovers and not only.

I don't know why I can't find this movie anywhere in the USA. I saw it in London shortly after it was released. U-Carmen e-Khayelitsha is a departure from the usual movie story-telling. It is novel in it's entire mix of opera and life. It suspends reality right in the middle of reality. It is gorgeous - the colors, the acting, the music and the storyline of course. If you don't walk out with a deeper love of South Africa then you must have closed your eyes. This is such a joyous movie. A must-see particularly if you've had enough of the usual fare. U-Carmen forced me to the realization that Hollywood is formulaic in ways so ingrained I don't even notice. But watch this movie and the cobwebs of Hollywood will be swept away with the banality of your everyday life.

U-Carmen eKhayelitsha (2005) is a South African movie co-written and directed by Mark Dornford-May. It's in partly in English and partly in the indigenous language Xhosa.

The film follows the plot of the opera. It's fascinating to move the film from 19th Century Spain to 21st Century South Africa, but it works.

In the same way, Pauline Malefane, in the title role, doesn't look the way we unconsciously assume Carmen will look. (Think of Maria Callas or Elina Garanca in the opera.)

Malefane is a robust, strong woman who plays the role well. It just took a few moments for me to realize that she is, indeed Carmen, and she looks just great for the part.

We saw this movie on the large screen, but it will work well enough on a smaller screen. I recommend it.

I was so mesmerized by this movie that when it was over I was left in shock. The characters took on such an incredible reality that they became part of my life for that 1.5 hours that the movie ran. I thought the actors were magnificent, especially the lead. She was so genuine and so real that I was rooting for her through out the movie. The musical score was equally moving. In fact, it took the combination of the music and the acting that was so magical for me. This is a movie for all ages and is not just entertainment, but is also educational. It teaches the audience that actions have consequences, and sometimes these consequences are much more drastic then expected.

This movie was recently screened at the New York Public Library's African Film Festival which must be commended for including such a fine movie in the program. This movie may be one of the greatest musicals ever produced in cinematic history. Every facet of this movie is superb: the acting, the story, the music, the dancing, the singing, everything. Not only does this movie faithfully tell the story of Carmen, it does so in Xhosa, making the production even more impressive, appealing and effective. The lead players's performances are worthy of the highest accolades, especially the of Pauline Malefane who plays Carmen and Andile Tshoni who plays her lover, Jongi. Their astounding, stunning, stupendous performances carry the movie. Ms. Malefane is one of the great lead actresses and an incredible singer. Further, the movie itself is packed with action and drama, all of which is set in a South African township which adds immeasurably to the movie's strength. Why this movie is not better known in the United States is puzzling. There is no question that this movie would resonate with an American audience. After all, the story of Carmen is timeless and tragic, and this movie successfully captures the essence of the story, providing a version that is unsurpassed.

The art of adaptation is difficult, yet there are many fans out there who go beyond giving the benefit of the doubt and actually embrace any old mindless desecration of a great text. To those souls I recommend the idiotic Ethan Hawke/Michael Almereyda HAMLET, or this South African travesty.

Film festivals have become an inverse barometer of quality in recent decades -beware like the plague any Cannes prize winner! U-CARMEN took the Golden Bear at Berlin, obviously impressing some afraid-to-be-considered-out-of-date jurors. But wait, the award-winning director from Blighty Mark Dornford-May's has gone on to win awards for a similar adaptation of Mozart's THE MAGIC FLUTE. Ouch!

I will merely chronicle the most major mistakes that sunk this project -a full discussion would take far longer than IMDb's 1000-word-limit. Firstly, retaining Bizet's music but electing to use the Xhosa local language (instead of French, or even Spanish) was more than foolhardy. It reflects an inverted prejudice that haunts Black filmmakers, let alone poor Mark. Great opera singers from South Africa, or anywhere else, have to learn to sing (and act) in German, Italian and French for starters. Setting the story in contemporary townships of South Africa is okay, but the actors should have sung in French, period. It's no longer Carmen in this form.

Choreography: I was frankly shocked to watch the mainly overweight (this is of course a plus-size Carmen) protagonists shuffling along in what purported to be the dance numbers. To all the revisionists who found this version superior to Saura's classic flamenco interpretation, what have you been smoking? The dancing here is embarrassingly bad, not even up to amateur, backyard movie levels.

Cinematography: As with practically every video or movie made today, the picture is presented in a widescreen format. But the compositions are puerile -looks like a TV show stretched to resemble band aids. One shot of an actress singing while a guy's crotch framed her randomly in the background was enough for me to tune out visually.

Casting: Director Mark cast his wife, Pauline Malefane, as Carmen and also starred her in his next & only feature, too. She is completely inexpressive, not acting at all, which would be bad enough for an actual opera (opera singers have to learn how to act, too) but for a film is ridiculous. To add that she is physically ill-suited for the role would be piling on, but I felt that way too.

Reinterpretation: I let them have the switch to post-Aparheid South Africa gimmick. I was willing to go along with an all-Black cast -no Voortrekkers need apply. But changing the opera's military aspect to cops is utterly stupid. In South Africa, U.S., or even Iraq, the distinction between the military and the police is significant -you can't make them synonymous for dramatic purposes. The various chubby cops here, several of whom displayed quality singing voices, play cops not soldiers and it self-destructs the narrative. Or to put it another way, I wouldn't want to sit through a CARMEN episode of that old TV series "Cop Rock".

"U-CARMEN e-KHYELITSHA" is an extremely unusual version of the opera Carmen set in a squalid shanty-town "Township", Khyelitsha, near Capetown, South Africa --and sung entirely by African singers in the "click language", Khosa! This black Carmen is a light year beyond the light brown "Carmen Jones" of 1954 which starred Harry Belafonte and Dorothy Dandridge and seemed so saucy and racy at the time. For one thing, Pauline Malefane (Carmen) is not a slender Hollywood mannekin type like Dandridge was, and Andile Tshoni ("Don Jose") is not a ridiculously handsome piece of brown male sculpture as was Harry Belafonte back then. Both are hefty people you wouldn't want to get into a barroom brawl with, and both can sing the hell out of Carmen. If Dandridge and Belafonte were simply ebony versions of your standard Hollywood beautiful people, these Carmen protagonists look more like heavy set black angels from Hell, as do most all the performers in this cast. Of course, what is at stake here is a very different set of physical beauty standards. The Xhosa aesthetic clearly does not place a high value on slenderness and these massive actors must obviously conform to local standards of "good-lookingness". But what is really important is that they can not only sing, and dance (African style), but they can also act! -- such that, after a while the viewer is completely swept up into the drama with many stretches of unsung dialogue in the surprisingly soft-sounding, melodious Xhosa language. The entire setting of this South African Carmen is in the gritty township, a fancy name for a slum, which calls for certain modifications. There is indeed a cigarette factory in the area, but the smugglers are now smuggling dope in from the nearby seashore. Jose is the local chief of police, quite brutal, and rides around in a jeep, whereas Don Escamillo the toreador is now "Nkomo", a local singing star who is actually set to sing excerpts from the opera at a local music hall. The charged dramatic exchanges between this Carmen and this Jose, especially at the end, are as gripping or more so, than any I have ever seen on any opera stage. In fact, the one previous screen Carmen this film does have something in common with, for sheer drama and interweaving of real life with the Carmen story, is Carlos Saura's all Flamenco Carmen of 1983. Mark Dornford-May is the director of this heavyweight, hypnotic, exotic "Carmen" which could turn out to be a surprise hit wherever it is released. Black Carmen walked off with the golden bear at Berlin 2005 but, strangely, possibly because there was no promotion budget, did not get much further than Berlin.

How can I watch it? saw it years back loved it and want to share