Flamenco

How much you'll enjoy Carlos Saura's performance film ("documentary" seems inappropriate, somehow) more or less depends upon how much you enjoy, well, flamenco. 'Cause flamenco, mi amigo, is what you're gonna get, and plenty of it, and there ain't nothin' else on this particular menu. No portentous narration, no talking heads, no historical or cultural context, no scratchy archival footage, no comparisons to other notable Spanish dance forms, no rampaging prehistoric carnivores, no death-defying speedboat chase scenes--just a lot of folks stompin' and clappin' and warblin' their fool heads off. Saura employs a fairly elaborate lighting schema, with colors gradually shifting as the film progresses, but that's the extent of the picture's cinematic invention. This is the kind of movie that's impervious to criticism, unless the critic in question is so well versed in the form that he or she can comment upon the skill of the performers (which I, sadly, am not); I can only report that I adored the music, found many of the dances thrilling, and was ready to stop the tape about forty minutes before the closing credits actually rolled. Optional. (M. D'Angelo)[DVD Review--Jan. 26, 2004--New Yorker, 100 min., not rated, $29.95--Making its debut on DVD, the 1994 foreign film Flamenco boasts a solid widescreen transfer, Dolby Digital stereo sound, and a handful of extras, including director/cinematographer bios/filmographies and 21 “Flamenco Fact Files” offering insights into various flamenco dances and songs. Bottom line: sure to be a hit with dance fans, this is well worth picking up on DVD.]