Don't Believe the Hype

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

NOTES: Nominated for the following awards, polled annually by members of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: Best Actress, Dorothy Dandridge (won by Grace Kelly for "The Country Girl"); Best Scoring of a Musical, Herschel Burke Gilbert (won by Adolph Deutsch and Saul Chaplin for "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers"). Negative cost: $750,000. Number four on Fox's domestic release schedule for 1954-55 in terms of box-office gross. Second to "A Man Called Peter" for Fox's highest box-office grosses in Australia for 1955. VIEWER'S GUIDE: Not suitable for children.COMMENT: Although many contemporary critics dismissed this all-black movie as a crude popularization of Carmen, and although it continues to draw flack today from those who see it as racist and stereotyped, there can be no denying its power and appeal. Bizet's music comes across with dynamic force, Dorothy Dandrige (aided immeasurably by the singing voice of Marilynn Horne, surely one of the great Carmens of this century) gives the performance of her career (and certainly the one for which she is always remembered), and Preminger has directed with his usual force and imaginatively flowing style.I have only one complaint against the movie — and in this complaint I am joined not only by most other critics but by almost everyone with whom I have seen this picture: The carefully built-up climax is undermined and most of the gathering suspense and atmosphere is dissipated when Joe suddenly and unexpectedly bursts into song. Forewarned is fore-armed.

The Corporal Joe (Harry Belafonte) is engaged to the countryside girl Cindy Lou (Olga James) and is ready to go to the pilot school. However, he is assigned to transport the troublemaker Carmen Jones (Dorothy Dandridge), an easy independent and arrogant woman desired by every man that works in a parachute factory, to be arrested in another town. Joe has one night stand with the easy Carmen and she escapes from him. The infatuated Joe is arrested and can not forget Carmen. When he is released, his commander sends him to the pilot school; however, he meets Carmen and he hits a sergeant that is flirting with her. Joe flees from the Military Police with Carmen and they head to Chicago. But sooner Carmen finds a new lover, the box fighter Husky Miller (Joe Adams) and leaves Joe that is chased by the MP. "Carmen Jones" is a boring and overrated film by Otto Preminger that uses the music of Bizet's opera. The whole cast is Afro-American and I did not like this movie. My vote is four.Title (Brazil): "Carmen Jones"

I have seen my fair share of musical movies and even though it's not my favorite genre I can say with certainty that I still really enjoyed watching this movie and is therefore among the more entertaining ones that I have ever seen.Not only is this movie a modern take on the novel and opera 'Carmen' but it also is one that has a completely Afro-American cast. This gives the story a whole new different attitude and it brings certainly live to the whole movie and story.It's an 1954 movie but let me tell you that the movie feels a lot more modern than that. If you would had told me that this movie was from 1974 I would had certainly believed it. It's not just because of the approach that the movie feels way more modern but also really because of its fine visual looks.As far as the musics goes, an important aspect within a musical movie of course, I also must say that I quite liked it, even though it was certainly weird seeing how basically every singing bit of the movie got dubbed by an obviously totally different person, that sounds really nothing like the actor who is playing the character.In this movie you could had real easily hated the Carmen character, fore she is one that is a real tease with men, steals boyfriends from other women and every now and then applies some manipulation, with her sexual and sensual powers. Yet you far from hate her, for which most credit really needs to go to the actress portraying her, Dorothy Dandridge, who also even received an Oscar nomination for her role in this movie.But at the same time there also is not really anything that makes this movie stand out as a truly excellent one. It's production values obviously weren't too high and the movie feels a bit static and simplistic at times. Nevertheless, I simply enjoyed watching this movie and that is what counts the most.7/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

What a splendid adaptation of Bizet's classic! With a cast of all black actors, 'Carmen Jones' was a pioneer in many ways and perhaps was one of the doorways for black actors to move further ahead towards equality. Beautifully presented with vibrant colours the film is shot in a very opera style. The characters are solid and the story is dark.The heart of the film lies in its actors. Not only can these talented people act but they sure can sing. These actors give their all to the characters. The late Dorothy Dandridge is beautiful, seductive, deceitful but also very human as Carmen Jones. Dandridge completely owns the part and immortalizes her. Harry Belafonte too does a good job as Joe who is swept away and blinded by his love for Carmen. Olga James is adorable as Cindy Lou. With their combined singing and acting talent, they burn the screen.Sadly, even the success and acclaim of 'Carmen Jones' did not get Dorothy Dandridge the right films which would have done further justice to her talent. Racial prejudice was very prominent in those days and the actress had to go years without doing films and then she dies an untimely death. But in 'Carmen Jones' one sees an actress who made it, even though it was for a short period, she opened doors for other actresses of minority ethnicities.'Carmen Jones' is another example of musical film at its best and unlike most musicals of its time, this one is layered, dark, intense and tragic.