Bizet-Carmen (Metropolitan Opera) (1989) (NTSC)

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    Set in Spain, the plot revolves around Carmen, a cigarette factory worker who begins a romance with soldier Don Jose. The interesting circumstances in which they meet (she is involved in a fight at the factory) mean that Don Jose is charged with taking her into custody. He becomes smitten with her and fails to do his job. She escapes and he is arrested, only to be released a month later where they meet in a tavern. Other potential suitors such as Escamillo the bullfighter press their cases before Carmen while she is in the tavern waiting for Don Jose to appear. After a fight with another suitor (and Don Jose's superior officer - Zuniga), Don Jose is forced to leave town. Proving his loyalty to Carmen, he accompanies her in escaping over the mountains with a band of smugglers. While in the mountains, Escamillo, equally smitten by Carmen, joins the bunch of smugglers and states his love of Carmen within earshot of Don Jose who promptly fights with him. They are separated by the smugglers and  vow to resume their dual later. Don Jose has to leave to see his dying mother while Carmen's heart now turns toward Escamillo. The final act occurs outside a bullring where Don Jose catches up with Carmen...

    The New York Metropolitan Opera production of Carmen is a big budget one with extravagant sets and a top notch cast. The performances are very good, although I think a slightly younger and sexier lead for Carmen would have been more believable in capturing the hearts of so many men.

Video

    This production of Carmen is not a brightly lit one. Many of the scenes take place in dimly lit sets. In particular, background scenes are quite dark. The blacks are rarely inky black however. More often, they are tinged with browns and reds and frequently low level noise is evident. At least the third act looks good with little real low level noise. This is important because the entire act is set in the mountains at night. The transfer is not a particularly sharp one, with even close-ups of the actors' faces looking soft.

    Colours also appear somewhat muted. Much of the clothing worn simply had drab colours with only the final act containing bright colours in any quantity. There appeared to be no colour bleeding at all.

    Grain and pixelization were apparent in the background and MPEG artefacts were quite noticeable on many occasions. An example can be found during Chapter 30 at 101.40 in the top part of the picture. Here, MPEG artefacts strongly plague the dark wall of the tavern. Videotape artefacts appeared largely absent.

    This is a dual layer disc and the layer change results in a barely perceptible pause at 92.41 with Jose Carreras' face next to the bust of Agnes Baltsa.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    The Metropolitan Orchestra conducted by James Levine played well and took the main chorus scenes at just the right pace. The cast members voices came though with great clarity and the orchestra was recorded well. Stereo imaging was good with the orchestral instruments spread nicely across a wide soundstage. Although lacking the polish and refinement of an audiophile recording, the soundtrack was definitely a pleasing one.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall