Flamenco

This film (drama)Also known asFlamenco，is aSpainProducerwomen sex，At1995Released in year 。The dialogue language isSpanish，Current Douban rating8.8(For reference only)。

Introduction: Carlos Saura is a highly regarded film director in Spanish history. He revolves around Flamenco dance, skillfully blending various arts such as Spanish painting, dance, music, and stage design, creating a splendid visual miracle through unique camera movements in minimalism. His film “Carmen,” which won the Best Artistic Contribution Award and the Grand Technical Prize at Cannes, along with "Blood Wedding" and "The Magic Love," is collectively referred to as the "Flamenco Trilogy," and has become Saura's most representative work. Over the past half-century, Saura's rich body of work has become an essential footnote for examining the political, historical, and social changes in Spain. Born in 1932 in Huesca, a province in Aragon, Saura held his first solo exhibition at the Royal Photographic Society at the age of 19. Following the advice of his painter brother Antonio, he enrolled in the Film Research and Experimental Center (I.I.E.C.), the predecessor of the Spanish National Film School. Saura's early works tended towards realism and were infused with the spirit of the New Wave, with “The Hunt” (La Caza, 1966) being his representative work. The films "Cousin Angelica" (La Prima Angelica) and "Cria!" (1976) from the 1970s were particularly favored by European and American film critics and won awards at Cannes. In the 1980s, Saura initiated the groundbreaking approach of presenting dance through film with the "Flamenco Trilogy," introducing a brand new cinematic form and style to the international film scene. Saura’s unique camera techniques not only promoted the fiery passion and elongated beauty of Flamenco dance but also reveal his ability to create dazzling cinematic visual language from minimalism. Among these, "Carmen" won the Artistic Contribution Award and the Grand Technical Prize at Cannes and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. In the 1990s, Saura collaborated with well-known photographers and art directors on multiple works, winning the Technical Award at Cannes for “The Dance of Desire” and receiving another Oscar nomination. Over the past twenty years, Saura has produced several films encompassing feature narratives and Flamenco music dance films, winning recognition at international film festivals and establishing a unique position in the global arena, further contributing to the expansion of Spanish musical and dance films. Flamenco is a comprehensive art form from Spain that integrates dance, singing, and instrumental music. Initially popular in the southern part of Spain, it has now expanded across the vast regions of Spain and is becoming one of Spain's representative arts. Southern Spain's Andalusia has long been a melting pot of various musical cultures. In earlier times, residents from Greece, Carthage, Rome, and Byzantium brought music from remote Mediterranean regions, followed by the Visigoths, who introduced their culture. Starting in the 8th century, the Arabs established the Caliphate of Córdoba, which lasted for over 700 years. From the 15th century onward, many Gypsies migrated here. Thus, Andalusia has significant influences from Arab culture and the powerful allure of Gypsy song and dance art, making this region one of the most exotic and colorful places in Europe. It is against this backdrop that Flamenco art emerged. There are many theories regarding the origins of Flamenco; some believe it was brought by Gypsies from North India, while others think it originated from the Arabs. Its close relationship with Gypsies, however, is undeniable. In Flamenco performances, we often see singers with furrowed brows, gloomy and aggrieved facial expressions, and hoarse voices — features rarely seen in other performances. This may seem strange to observers, but understanding the background of Flamenco makes it easier to comprehend. Flamenco art reflects the poverty, tragic fate, and circumstances of the Gypsies, expressing this through poetry, music, and dance. After the unification of Spain in the 15th century, monarchs and the Catholic Church forced Jews and Arabs to convert and compelled Gypsies to change their lifestyles. To escape persecution, they were forced to leave their homes and wander in remote mountains, living in similar conditions of misery, which they conveyed through their singing, dancing, and instruments. By the mid-18th century, Flamenco was quite popular in Andalusia, yet the upper class still rejected it. The situation only changed when a musician composed for the then-popular one-act play “Toná” using Gypsy verses and melodies. During this period, many professional singers emerged; in 1920, the first Flamenco opera was performed, and in 1922, a famous Flamenco competition was held in Granada. However, this art form then declined until the Flamenco competition in Cordoba in 1956 and the establishment of the Flamenco School in Jerez in 1957 led to its revival and development. During performances, a group of singers, dancers, and guitarists form a semi-circle, seated in chairs on the stage. The performance begins with the singers’ shouts and exclamations to ignite passion in the audience; the guitarists play the intro or prelude to create a special atmosphere for the song and dance. Before singing, the singers also adjust their voices; the dark, nasal tone remains characteristic of Flamenco singing. Ornamental notes often accentuate strong beats, with melismatic embellishments commonly used, often featuring microtones, a singing style rarely found in other Western European countries. The lyrics frequently involve themes of God, love, women, and death, with scarce references to money or wealth, which may relate to certain Gypsy beliefs. The guitar is used for both solo and accompaniment but mainly functions as a rhythm instrument, employing three basic techniques: finger strumming, melodic passages, and improvised interludes during singing. Guitarists play with considerable force and bright tonality. Throughout the performance, both performers and audiences seek a shared connection known as "duende," representing the highest state of spiritual communion. Flamenco rhythms include both free and regular cyclic beats, with the common 12 beats featuring accented beats at 3, 6, 8, 10, and 12, somewhat akin to the Indian tala rhythm. The music often includes augmented intervals. Stylistically, Flamenco music is a blend of melancholic sorrow and exuberant passion. In Flamenco dance, men pay great attention to foot movements, the crisp rhythms produced when striking the floor with heels. Women’s dance emphasizes movements of the hands, wrists, arms, waist, and hips, with dancers often unable to restrain themselves, tapping the ground, snapping their fingers, accompanied by singing, handclaps, shouts, stomps, and the sounds of castanets in their hands, intertwining and resonating, creating a vibrant atmosphere where performers and audiences resonate with one another. There are about 60 classical Flamenco songs and dance programs, including solo and group performances, some accompanied and some unaccompanied. They can be broadly divided into three categories: profound songs, known as “great songs,” which are the earliest and most challenging form of Flamenco music, performed with free rhythm and muted timbre, sometimes nearing a shout, featuring many microtones and embellishments with rich Eastern colors. The second category consists of lively songs, characterized by cheerful emotions, smooth melodies, and clear rhythms, absorbing some elements of Latin American music. The third category comprises moderate songs that lie between the two. Many singers have performed Flamenco, with the most famous during the golden age around 1920 being the Gypsy male singer Manolo Caracol and female singer Pastora Pavón. The contemporary most distinguished male singer is Camarón de la Isla, who possesses both bright high notes and a rugged timbre, deeply moving every audience member's heart. The most renowned female singer is Carmen Linares, while the early most famous Flamenco guitar player was Ramón Montoya, who absorbed classical guitar techniques and developed the art of Flamenco guitar playing. The contemporary most famous musician is Paco de Lucía, who has innovated under the influence of Latin American music. In recent years, some in the younger generation have merged Flamenco art with jazz, Brazilian bossa nova, Caribbean salsa, and blues rock, forming a new genre.