Prenom Carmen, or First Name Carmen, is a Jean-Luc Godard
film "based on" the familiar Bizet opera.
Carmen is either a concert violinist rehearsing Beethoven
quartets and daydreaming, or she is Jean-Luc Godard's niece who
holds up a bank to raise money then hits on the idea of pretending
to make a film and kidnapping either a wealthy man or his daughter.
Jean-Luc Godard, playing himself, is living in a hospital, his choice, but is willing
to help Carmen make her film. During the bank robbery, she is caught
by a young policeman who falls in love with her and they escape
together. He is arrested then acquitted, but the two are star-crossed, and the relationship is not destined to last.
I think I am
now supposed to write about how Jean-Luc brilliantly deconstructed the
Carmen story, creating one of his most accessible films, full of
social commentary and wry humor. If you need a collection of
flowery and pretentious verbiage like that, IMDb's linked reviews and comments will
build your collection in no time. Unfortunately, even pretending
that I understand what the above means, I am not sure I agree. Most honest people find it a difficult
watch, and are not sure they completely understand it. But I have
included the requisite flowery phrases apropos
to French period art films, so that I can then finally talk about
the film's true merit: Marushka
Detmers shows everything, full frontal and rear, as does costar Jacques Bonnaffé.
Also daring was a scene where Bonnaffé joins Detmers in the shower than jacks off
on her.
So is the film really a retelling of Carmen? Well ...
|
Carmen |
Prenom Carmen |
|
Young gypsy |
Young thief/concert violinist |
|
Soldier |
Cop |
|
Bizet's fiery latin score |
Beethoven and a Tom Waits song |
|
Doomed love affair |
Doomed love affair |
... you tell me.
Whatever it is, it is damned strange, and would be unwatchable in
my opinion were it not for the nudity. Bottom line: If you enjoy that
"WTF?" feeling, or
really want to see Marushka Detmers very naked, this is your film.
Why, I can't believe Tuna found this pretentious:
"He is searching for a point of equilibrium between the made and
the found, the ordered and the chaotic--a point from which to define
an aesthetic for the 80s."
