Review of Flamenco

Introduction

Flamenco is an Andalusian art form that seamlessly melds music, rhythm, song and dance. Flamenco is best known to moviegoers through Hollywood flicks such as MI:2 where some lithe dancer twirls and clicks her fingers to a throbbing guitar backing. But that glossy view is only part of the story. This film by Carlos Saura attempts to capture the diversity of Flamenco in an authentic and stripped-down fashion.

He brings more than 300 artists of various ages, abilities and nationalities to Seville to perform 13 diverse Flamenco pieces. If you are a fan of authentic Flamenco, this disk will be heaven. However, if you are like me and you think you might like Flamenco because you quite enjoyed the dancing at the start of MI:2 and you quite like Nuevo Flamenco artists like Ottmar Liebert, then approach with caution.

Video

The video is presented in an Anamorphic 1.78:1 transfer and looks very good. From a purely technical perspective it`s not great because the image is soft and has a fair bit of grain. Artistically, though it is a gem. Filmed by Academy Award winning cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, it is a simple pleasure. The performers are filmed on very simple sets - often just a chair - against backlit screens which are coloured with various hues, mostly warm reds and oranges. This creates a warm, organic feel to the film and focuses your attention on the sensuous performances.

Audio

For this film, being solely music based, the soundtrack is all important, and the basic DD 2.0 presentation does the job nicely. The soundstage isn`t particularly expansive (actually, it isn`t expansive at all) but the music come through warmly, with vocals ringing out of your speakers.

However, be aware that this is the real deal and not Hollywood Flamenco. As such, it can often be difficult to listen to if your ear is not accustomed to the various stylings. I often found myself wincing (at what my father would have called a bloody racket) as an unconventional (to my Pop addled senses) note was hit. The guitar players, including Paco De Lucia, are uniformly excellent and will be appreciated by most listeners, the vocalists are an acquired taste.

Features

The only features are two filmographies and a text-based introduction to Flamenco which included explanation of the various pieces in the film.

Conclusion

Overall, Flamenco is best described as an acquired taste. If you like Flamenco as an art form or you enjoy trying out new musical styles, there will be much to enjoy here. However, the casual listener should exercise caution.