OK - the Turning Point is good and the Red Shoes is great but..... I think I just saw the greatest (and most underappreciated) dance movie of all time. It is the 1983 movie Carmine directed by Carlos Saura (NOT "First Name: Carmine" created about the same time). I taped it off of TV 15 years ago. My copy is grainy but it is a treasure.<P>I can't find this on Amazon and I doubt that it is available anywhere anymore but if you can get it I highly recommend it. It might be available here: <A HREF="http://www.eonline.com/Facts/Movies/0,60,2945,00.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.eonline.com/Facts/Movies/0,60,2945,00.html</A> <P>This is a dancers movie. The flamenco dancing - and percussive footwork is breathtaking!! In everything there is dancing. The movie mixes up the real life effort of a choreographer to create a dance version of the opera Carmine - with his creation. OK the story is a bit hackneyed - but the dancing is awesome. And there is so much of it. In many scenes you don't know if you are watching the real-life romance of the choreographer & his Carmine or his choreographic creation. <P>The girl who plays Carmine has great boobs. Those who understand Flamenco dancing will understand that I don't mean that in a chauvinistic way - boobs are as important to female Flamenco dancers as feet are to ballet dancers. The men are terrific dancers, aggressive and macho. There is passion from the beginning to the end of this movie. It is so nice to see real sexual passion in dance.<BR> <BR>This is a movie based on an opera but it is by and for dancers. Because flamenco is not so popular in America and there are no big name stars this movie has disappeared. But that's a shame becuase it deserves to be on every dancers VCR shelf.<P><BR>

Pan thanks for your comments about Saura's 'Carmen', which is a fine film. If you go to this topic you'll find discussion about Saura's other dance films including 'Blood Wedding', which is my own favourite.<P> <A HREF="http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000191.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000191.html</A>

By a strange coincidence, Saura's Carmen was shown last night on television. Unfortunately it was wrongly billed in the TV guide as Mats Ek's Carmen and as I missed the opening credits, I puzzled through the first hour before getting a clue. I loved the dancing but as I was expecting the Culberg Ballet, I found the storyline rather tedious. My favourite has to be the older woman, Christina. Her dancing was so infused with passion that she knocked the others out cold.

I LOVE THIS MOVIE! I had it on tape, loaned it to someone and kow it's gone. I have tried to get it, but every source I find says "out-of print". I'm at a loss. I want it back.<P>I had never seen truly good flamenco til I saw this movie in college when a Spanish major friend showed it to me. I was then in love.<P>If anyone knows how I can find a copy of this movie, let me know. I've been looking for two years.

LMCTech - I have two of the series - Blood Wedding and Carmen.<P>I adore both of them. If you want to contact me about them, please do.