“Carmen”, a modern adaptation of Georges Bizet’s famous opera directed by choreographer Benjamin Millepied, was released in theaters. On this occasion, here are five things to know about this musical road-movie with Paul Mescal and Melissa Barrera.
What is it about ? Carmen, a young Mexican trying to cross the border, comes across an American patrol. Aidan, a young ex-marine saves his life by killing one of his own. Forever linked by this tragic night and now pursued by the police, they travel together towards the City of Angels. They will find refuge in the heart of the Sombra Poderosa, a club run by Carmen’s aunt who will offer them a suspended moment thanks to music and dance.
2 young talents
To play Carmen, Benjamin Millepied was looking for a Mexican actress who could sing and dance, but also someone with “strength, courage, mystery and fearlessness, without falling into cliché”. Melissa Barrera had never taken dance lessons, but she had appeared on the reality show You think you know how to dance in Mexico :
“She’s actually a wonderful dancer and she sings really, really well. And she has a crazy presence. But she’s also able to bring deep emotion to the important moments in the film. Melissa is the perfect Carmen.”explains Benjamin Millepied.
Melissa Barrera previously starred in Scream 5 and 6, as well as in the musical From Where We Come From alongside fashionable Anthony Ramos.
In the skin of Aidan, the young ex-marine, we find Paul Mescal, who will succeed Russell Crowe in Gladiator 2 by Ridley Scott. The protagonist of this sequel is Lucius, son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen in Gladiator) and nephew of Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). The young actor recently made a name for himself in the moving drama Aftersun, which received rave reviews at festivals.
Ben King – Goalpost Pictures Melissa Barrera
Birth of the project
In Paris, producer Dimitri Rassam had known for a long time that Benjamin Millepied wanted to direct his first feature film. The two men then discussed at length the passion of the famous French choreographer and dancer for Carmen. Dimitri Rassam recalls:
“One of the aspects that makes Carmen a timeless story is its central character, this exceptional freedom-loving woman. Benjamin’s vision was to place the story in the present day, while remaining faithful to the spirit of opera, without ever being a by-product of it.”
“My role was to accompany Benjamin and Nicholas in this adventure. By diving into the origins, the roots of Carmen, but also by marrying the vision of Benjamin and that of Nicholas, we have created something truly unique. A film that has its own grammar.
Why the United States?
Originally the opera Carmen is set in Spain, but Benjamin Millepied wanted to make it an American story. The director explains: “I have lived in the United States almost all my life, since I was 16. For me, the story had to take place in a setting that was close to me, with which I had an almost visceral relationship.”
“I am French, but I am also an immigrant with an American passport, and this country has offered me extraordinary opportunities. I feel very concerned about many current American problems. Sitting the story in the United States reflects my love for the landscapes of this country, but also for its atmosphere and its cinematographic past.”
An old project
All of Carmen’s songs and dances were written prior to filming, but at the time of editing the soundtrack was yet to be created. Nicholas Brittel had already spent years exchanging musical ideas with director Benjamin Millepied (and composing some scores for him), but upon seeing early versions of the film, the composer could begin to imagine how the music would fit into the structure of the whole. He remembers :
“The end result includes an orchestra, lots of sound experimentation and synthesizer, and a choir of men and women. The choir is the last idea that Benjamin and I had. Throughout the film, these voices are integrated into the instrumental soundtrack. The texts, sung in French, are taken from the original opera created in 1875 by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. This creates an almost mystical musical counterpoint between the opera and Benjamin’s Carmen .”
The process took six years.
Ben King – Goalpost Pictures
Paul Mescal
Filming in Australia
Dimitri Rassam proposed to Rosemary Blight, producer at Goalpost Pictures, to join the project, in order to be able to shoot the film in Australia. The Australian outback is indeed surprisingly similar to the Mexican desert and to the area around the Mexican-American border. The bulk of Carmen was shot near Broken Hill and the Los Angeles set, including Masilda’s La Sombra nightclub, was recreated in suburban Sydney.
In 2021, Melissa Barrera and Paul Mescal arrived in Australia for several weeks of intensive rehearsals. Both actors are experienced singers, but they have never danced professionally. Benjamin Millepied chose the Sydney Dance Company, an Australian contemporary dance company with an international reputation, to prepare his actors:
“The preparation and the shooting were very hard. Paul and Melissa had to dance, sing, play an instrument and interpret their role at the same time. The director being a great choreographer, it’s not as if they don’t had only a few dance steps to master. They had to catch up with the dancers of the Sydney Dance Company, who are acclaimed around the world.”
“They had three to four hours of rehearsal a day, for weeks! It was like high-level athletics. And they did it!”
Note that Paul Mescal had to learn to box for a key scene in the film. He trained every day alongside a professional. The boxing scenes were filmed over two nights. Mescal’s sparring partner and on-screen opponent was an Australian champion. They were surrounded by “Krumpers”, dancers recruited from the streets of Sydney, who were specially trained for the film by choreographer Holly Doyle.