I loved watching this version of Carmen- though if I had two complaints, they would be I was confused whether the start of the bullfight before the overture started signalled the beginning or end of the opera, and also Carmen's death wasn't as dramatic as it could have been. Other than that, set in the glorious backdrop of Spain, this 1984 version is beautifully filmed, with wondrous surroundings, marvellous camera-work and stunning costumes. The music by Bizet is just wonderful, from its overture, the Habernera, the Toreador's Song, the Card Triio to the explosive finale, it is utterly gripping from beginning to end. The performances were brilliant-no overacting as far as I could see. Julia Mignes-Johnson was everything Carmen should be- flirtatious, beautiful and sexy- with a fine timbre to her voice. If you forgive the fact that Placido Domingo was a tad too old for Don Jose, he still looked handsome and sang beautifully, as we come to expect from him. Ruggero Raimondi was great as Escamillo, what an amazing voice, and Faith Esham was heartbreaking as Michaela. The entire chorus were fabulous, the subtitles were easy to follow and so was the plot. The Mail On Sunday praised this as "a treat to the eyes and a sensation for the ears" and after seeing this myself, despite a couple of minor flaws, I couldn't agree more. 9/10 Bethany Cox