THE STORY – In the back alleys of Seville, Salva, Belén, and their gang of street kids will brave every danger to ward off the threat hanging over Carmen, a free-spirited and flamboyant young woman. The fate of Carmen, a rebellious soul, lies in their hands.
THE CAST – Camélia Jordana, Milo Machado-Graner, Soumaye Bocoum & Carl Malapa
THE TEAM – Sébastien Laudenbach (Director/Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 90 Minutes
While George Bizet’s iconic opera, “Carmen,” was a failure when it premiered in the 1800s, the rich tapestry of this material has stood the test of time and become a success story. The opera sparked several artistic adaptations, from Oscar Hammerstein II’s original 1943 Broadway production “Carmen Jones” to Benjamin Millepied’s 2023 film “Carmen,” starring Melissa Barrera and Paul Mescal. With countless retellings comes a wide range in quality, not to mention the danger of becoming too derivative without an original relationship to the material. Thankfully, Sébastien Laudenbach’s animated reimagining, “Viva Carmen,” finds resonance in colorful vibrancy and takes creative liberties in ways that only animation can.
For those unfamiliar with the story of Bizet’s opera, “Viva Carmen” serves as a sweet and straightforward entry point for younger generations. While simplistic, understandably so to an extent, Laudenbach tells the story in such an engaging and vibrant manner that one can’t help but feel won over by the artistry. Following up on his previous feature “Chicken for Linda!”, which was co-directed and co-written by Chiara Malta, Laudenbach delivers another impressive free-style animation that speaks volumes with silhouette sketches. His version of “Carmen” retains a child-at-heart spirit that never talks down to the audience.
Set in 1845 Seville and focused on an alluring gypsy woman named Carmen (here voiced by an excellent Camélia Jordana), the film retains much of the original story, though zigzags by telling it from the perspective of children. Laudenbach’s adaptation focuses on Salva (voiced by Milo Machado-Graner), a thirteen-year-old orphan who teams up with a knife grinder named Antonio to sharpen blades for the town. Antonio has a mystical prophecy, visualized with a surreal scissor-sharpening vision, that Carmen will face a tragic fate at the next bullfight in town. Salva had taken notice of the gypsy girl’s presence early on in the story. Upon hearing this spooky premonition, he sets out to challenge fate and save Carmen from impending doom.
To save the day, Salva rallies a group of fellow young misfits, including Belén (Soumaya Bocoum), Piranha (Gaetan Dupont), and La Bola (Evan Paturel). Salva and Belén form a strong connection as kindred spirits who get comfortable being vulnerable with each other. Their relationship dynamic serves as an endearing depiction of both lost innocence and a strong will to change the world. The narrative focuses on its characters, keeping the film at a level children can relate to, so they can relate to Carmen’s story. To a fault, this focus does undermine some of the emotionality around Carmen herself and the intensity of her relationship with José (Carl Malapa), the soldier who falls in love with her. However, Carmen’s delightfully rebellious spirit is given plenty of moments to shine musically
The star of the “Viva Carmen” show is the highly distinctive animation, which has a gorgeous, rough-around-the-edges quality that spotlights its creative efforts. Working mainly with solid colors and silhouettes, the film stands out in how shadows and lines are used to evoke fluid movement. This animation style also works wonders for the setting, as the color palettes shift with the various landscapes. For instance, a moonlit evening will cast blue shadows on the characters’ silhouettes. The film’s locations, from the Seville city streets to the quiet countryside, are brimming with creative attention to detail, at times evoking animated classics such as Disney’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” As a fun fact, “Notre Dame”’s art director, Cyril Pedrosa, also worked on “Viva Carmen.”
While not an outright musical, the film draws on notable operatic influence and features sensational musical elements throughout. Camélia Jordana delivers astounding vocals, especially her rendition of “L’Amour” in the first act. There is a beautiful fluidity and liberating energy to her sound that feels incredibly fitting for the story and its themes. Rounding out the sonic achievements, composers Amine Bouhafa and Isabelle Laudenbach intensify the dramatic story beats with a vigorous score.
Carmen lives to the beat of a free spirit who moves through the world by living purely in the moment. “Viva Carmen” channels a similar energy, showcasing a fluid tapestry of animation and striking a resonant chord as a timeless story of love and fate. While simplistic in its narrative approach, it’s a film smartly geared toward viewers of all ages and incorporates a collection of rather insightful themes. As the film echoes, “You’re not really dead if people remember you,” speaking beautifully to the significance of how we choose to live. Every chance encounter, however seemingly insignificant it may seem, is a measure of our character. We are all shaped by the choices we make, and if we choose wisely, we get to live deeply in the hearts of many.
