L'Homme, l'Orgueil et la Vengeance

Why are all the beautiful gypsies women so difficult? To make your life so miserable that you want to kill them? I had a similar experience with one, but I didn't kill her, in the end I found another woman. The film is well done, Franco Nero and Tina Aumont, in particular, they are very good, very believable and natural. What didn't convince me are two scenes: when they make love fully clothed and when Klaus Kinski shot the boy, although in the previous scene he had no bullets left in his revolver, because he had shot them all (far too many than a revolver can have - usually only 6) in the man he had been following on horseback. To appreciate the ease with which Klaus Kinski always knew how to make himself unbearable, to want to kill him too.

The reviews here can be modified by the Blu-ray version of 26 May 2015 by Blue Underground in the USA with the title "Man, Pride and Vengeance" that matches the original "L'uomo, l'orgoglio, la vendetta." The movie is clearly and credited as based on Prosper Mérimée's "Carmen." The second half of the movie is realized in the style of Italian Westerns, but to attach it to a Django would be to raise the actor, Franco Nero, above the plot.

The box for the DVD does almost claim too much in saying that the film was "lensed" by Vittorio Storaro. He was the camera operator, and Camillo Bazzoni, brother of the director, was the cinematographer. There are lively travelling shots of running and horseback, lucid fight scenes, and desolate landscapes.

A problem it seems to me is dewy teen-aged Tina Aumont as Carmen. The character is a woman who could have a Klaus Kinski type as a husband. Who could have played her? Sophia Loren? But her agent wouldn't have let her. Aumont's mother, Maria Montez? Vanessa Redgrave.

This is a peculiar adaptation upon the known classic novel written by Próspero Merimee . Here a gypsy , Tina Aumont , seduces a straight-lace brigade called José , Franco Nero . This one falls big time for the beautiful gypsy who is working at a cigarette factory . The soldier then runs off after he kills an officer , Franco Ressel , and quits the army . José abandons everything to follow her band formed by various nasty brigands as Klaus Kinski , Lee Burton , José Luis Martín and Alaberto Dell'Aqua . José becomes interested in robbing , but Carmen tired of the pretty boy wanders upon a prize bullfighter .

This is an exciting story about a crazy love , in which a soldier , Don Jose , falls in love with a beautiful factory worker , but she does not reciprocate his feelings , she is a gorgeous gypsy who becomes the object of obsession for a local brigade and things wind up badly of his jealousy . Here cast does a fine job , giving acceptable interpretations . Nero and Tina Aumont are great to look at and the film's main selling point . Passable support cast plenty of secondaries from Spaghetti/Paella Western , as Klaus Kinski , José Luis Martin , Franco Ressel , Guido Lollobrigida or Lee Burton who is Gina Lollobrigida's brother , and Alberto Dell'Acqua who played along with Franco Nero in the classic ¨Adios Texas¨ . It packs colorful cinematography shot on location in Guadix , Granada and desert of Tabernas , Almeria , where was filmed a lot of exteriors and marvelously shown . Thrilling and atmospheric musical score by Carlo Rustichelli . This Carmen film version was well directed by Luigi Bazzoni who gives a surprisingly effective realization . Luigi directed a few films , 3 giallos as ¨The Firth cord¨ , ¨Footprints on the moon¨ and ¨Donna Del Lago¨ , and 2 Spaghetti Westerns : ¨Blue Gang¨ and this one.

The story has been adapted several times , such as : First silent retelling (1915) by Cecil B De Mille with Geraldine Farrar , Wallace Reid , Pedro De Cordoba . Hollywood rendition 1948 ¨The loves of Carmen¨ by Charles Vidor with Rita Hayworth , Glenn Ford , Ron Randell , Victor Jory , Luther Adler . ¨Carmen De Ronda¨ by Tulio Demicheli with Sara Montiel , Mauricio Ronet , German Cobos . ¨Carmen Jones¨ by Otto Preminger with Harry Belafonte , Dorothy Dandridge . ¨Carmen Baby¨ (66) by Radley Metzger . Musical rendition ¨Carmen¨ (83) by Carlos Saura with Laura Del Sol , Antonio Gades . ¨Carmen of Bizet¨ by Francesco Rosi with Julia Migenes Johnson , Plácido Domingo , a film version of the famous Bizet opera and to use spoken dialogue between all the musical numbers rather than being sung all the way through . ¨Carmen: A Hip Hopera¨ by Robert Towsend with Beyoncé Knowles , Mekhi Phifer . And ¨Carmen¨ by Vicente Aránda with Paz Vega and Leonardo Esbaraglia

I was excited to watch this film, a spaghetti western starring Franco Nero, of Django fame. However, this film had little to show for it. It is not a western in the usual sense, but takes place in Spain. It follows the exploits of a solider Hose, who is enthralled with a gypsy woman Carmen, and is led down an increasingly dark path, as he loses rank and privilege, and ends up joining a group of outlaws in the Spanish countryside. They begin to suspect each other of treachery however, and competition over Carmen leads them to conflict. Carmen herself is not always honest, and plays the men off of each other in order to survive.

This movie is full of issues however. The story is weak and muddled. The romance that develops between Carmen and Hose is interesting, but transparent. There were many problems with the story and action that made the movie closer to unwatchable than enjoyable. The action is shot in the dark, and difficult or impossible to view properly. Hose's character is very shallow.

However, there are some interesting points. As I said, the romance that develops between the two leads is interesting. Nero plays his part well, as do most of the actors/actresses. There were some interesting scenes and shots. Carmen's character is also complex and interesting. All in all, this is a bit of a mess. I would say this is a pretty safe "no" if you are looking for a good film. It isn't a complete waste of time however.

This is an adaption of the classic novel Carmen which puts the main characters into a Spaghetti Western setting, but instead of yet another Spaghetti Western director Luigi Bazzoni created a brooding drama full of psychological tension and visually spectacular sequences. If you are looking for an action movie, look somewhere else, although the movie does contain a very well photographed chase sequence.

Franco Nero again proves to be a great actor and Tina Aumont does a splendid job, too. Klaus Kinski is typecast as the crazy villain again and he again plays this part very well. Look out for the guest appearance of the Austrian Burgschauspieler Karl Schönböck!

Carlo Rustichelli's score matches the movie perfectly since it's a lavish mix of operatic music and brooding low-key pieces. (Get the soundtrack CD released by CAM!)

Only a heavily cut version made it to the German cinemas and again it was tried to sell a movie as yet another adventure of Django, which is even more nonsensical if the literary source of this movie is considered.

Two thumbs up and many thanks to Black Hill/McOne who released the uncut version on DVD in Germany!