Georges Bizet's 1875 opera about Carmen, the colorful cigarette factory worker whose flirtations with the soldier Don José are forgotten in her love for the matador Escamillo, is the source for director
Francesco Rosi's cinematic version of the same story.
Plácido Domingo sings the part of Don José, Julia Migenes-Johnson sings Carmen, and
Ruggero Raimondi is Escamillo. Although there is nothing to fault in the singing itself, some viewers may feel that director Rosi has stayed closer to a stage production than the medium of film would warrant. Carmen received the 1984 Cesar award for "Best Sound." ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide