"Cármenes: Amadori, Saura"

In 1845 Prosper Mérimée published the novella Carmen. In 1875 Georges Bizet proposed an opera adaptation from the short story of the same name, immortalizing the myth of the beautiful gypsy. The construction of the figure of Carmen has been one of the most explored topics, as here Spain is represented as a peculiar land. This article focuses on the similarities and differences about the representation of Carmen in two audiovisual productions: Carmen (1943) by the Argentine director Luis César Amadori and Carmen (1983) by the Spanish Carlos Saura. Both productions staged some topics of the Spanish culture, as, for instance, the representation of a flamenco show, the magnetism of its protagonists, the unrequited love and the final outcome, presented in a completely different way in the two productions. Both representations, in their own way, consolidate the myth of Carmen, revitalizing the essence of a country considered exotic.