This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist.
“CARMEN” follows a young and fiercely independent woman who is forced to flee her home in the Mexican desert following the brutal murder of her mother. Carmen (MELISSA BARRERA) survives a terrifying and dangerous illegal border crossing into the US, only to be confronted by a lawless volunteer border guard, who cold-bloodedly murders two other immigrants in her group. When the border guard and his patrol partner, Aidan (PAUL MESCAL)—a Marine with PTSD—become embroiled in a deadly standoff, Carmen and Aidan are forced to escape together. They make their way north towards Los Angeles in search of Carmen’s mother’s best friend, the mercurial Masilda (ROSSY DE PALMA) and owner of La Sombra nightclub – a sanctuary of music and dance. Carmen and Aidan find both solace and their unwavering love for one another in the safety of Masilda’s magical refuge, but time is running out as the police hunt closes in.
For in-depth thoughts on Carmen (2023), please see my colleague Brandon Lewis’ piece from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment brings Carmen to Blu-Ray with a sumptuous 1080p video presentation. The transfer provides a lovely amount of depth on display with the expanses of the dry terrain. The stunning costumes and natural production design provide crystal clear textural details. The image is unmoored with the warm color palette radiating off the screen. The film uses splashes of colors within the setting and costumes to bolster the image. Highlights are strong with no signs of blooming. The black levels stay stable with little in the way of digital noise or crush. Flesh tones are natural with a good amount of detail present in close-ups, such as instances of perspiration. This presentation is a knockout from Sony.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray comes with a terrific DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that realizes this soundscape faithfully. Given the source material, the narrative is complemented by a deep well of music, all of which radiates from the speakers in a memorable, well-balanced way. The environmental sounds play with the surround speakers in a really effective way that makes the world more fleshed out. When the characters are making their way along their journey, there are some really rousing ambient details that open up the setting. Dialogue comes through clearly without being overshadowed by any competing sounds. The low end of the track is robust when it counts even outside of the musical moments. This could have been a knockout Dolby Atmos track, but this presentation is a mighty one from Sony. There are optional English, English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles provided.
Special Features
- Melissa Barrera as Carmen: A two-minute piece in which the cast and creative team discuss what makes Barrera perfect for the role, how she brought emotional truth to the character, why this character is a welcome diversion of how Hollywood portrays Latinx characters and more.
- Paul Mescal as Aiden: A two-minute featurette in which the same figures discuss the amazing qualities of Paul Mescal, the facets of the character and more.
- Rossy de Palma as Masilda: A nearly three-and-a-half minute piece which puts the spotlight on de Palma as the participants discuss how this role was written for the actress, the energy she brought to the set and more.
- Director – Ben Millepied: A three-minute look at the background of director Ben Millepied, his passion for creating his first film, his gift with movement and more.
- The Modern Story: A three-minute featurette which takes a look at the enduring nature of the opera, the process of adapting it for a modern context and more.
- Music: A five-minute exploration of the musical DNA of the film, conceiving a new life for songs with this adaptation, various influences on the new collaborations and more.
- Dancing: A five-minute look at the importance of dance and movement to this story, the effort put in by the performers to execute it themselves and more.
- Creating The World of Carmen in Australia: A five-minute piece in which the cast and creative figures discuss the decision to shoot in Australia, what it brought to the narrative and more.
- The Production Story: A nearly three-minute featurette which discusses the journey of getting this story to the big screen.
- Previews: There are trailers provided for Return to Seoul, One Fine Morning, Living and The Son.
Final Thoughts
Carmen is a fresh and exciting new interpretation of a classic piece of art that shows the creative verve of director Benjamin Millepied. The film has a musicality to it which goes beyond your typical “movie musical” and transcends into something more alive and visceral. The movie can border on avant garde at points, but it keeps itself accessible in a way that still feels daring. The performances from Melissa Barrera and Paul Mescal are key to making this story work, and it does mostly work. The narrative could use a little bit of fine-tuning to tap into the emotions we want more thoroughly explored, but the movie is still a great debut. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has provided a Blu-Ray disc that sports a great A/V presentation and a nice array of supplements. Recommended
Carmen can be purchased on Blu-Ray directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.