Review of El amor brujo (1986) by Daniel K — 05 Jan 2008

Unlike Blood Wedding, El Amor Brujo isn't so much a film about flamenco, but a melodrama that is bolstered by the passionate music. I know next to nothing about the style, but even with my untrained eye, the cast is full of consummate professionals. As expected, most of the film's highlights revolve around the musical sequences. The initial fight, a nighttime fire sequence and a women's only number were among the high points. While not superfluous, when the standard dramatic scenes take place,you find yourself hoping that the music will resume as quickly as possible.

Some may dislike the intentional theatricality, but it works for the material and is an obvious extension of Saura's earlier work. I was somewhat put off by how obviously of the 80s everything was. Blood Wedding was made only a few years before and has that timeless, traditional flamenco feel. Which you prefer is a personal choice, but I often wondered if the film would date better without all of the hair and clothes.

I hoped to watch this one after seeing his take on Carmen, but 2 months after the release of the Eclipse set, Netflix still has it on a very long wait. Maybe I'll revise this one day.