Blood and Sand
This movie is based on a novel by Vicente Blasco Ibanez. The setting is Madrid and involves the thing Spain is most famous for: corrida. It's main character Juan is set on to become a famous torero. During a corrida he jumps on arena to fight with a bull where he narrowly escapes death. He is saved by his friend whom this feat cost his life. In spite of that Juan decides to dedicate himself to this difficult art that is almost a profession and he really becomes famous, he achieves his purpose... Yes, he became famous but only for a short period of time. He meets woman named Sol distinguished for its evil temper and uncomparable beauty. They become lovers and while he is on the top of his fame they enjoy each other. But the conflict is complicated that our handsome youth is married to a girl Carmen. She is a real Spanish woman: loving but proud. When Juan is unfaithful to her with Sol she has courage to deny him. But she still loves him and this tragic knot is not untied till the end. Sol influences Juan badly, she treats him like a simple servant. Yet he is obsessed with her and even leaves Carmen for her sake. But soon his career becomes declining and Sol quickly leaves him for his successor. The last fighting. Juan is drunk, he cannot fight properly, he is not in the proper form. But Carmen appears at corrida, he gathers his last efforts to show her what he is still able for and dedicates this fight to her... Unfortunately it's too late, he makes fatal mistake, seriously injured by the bull and brought to the hospital. His friends are mourning while Sol and other crowd applaude for the next winner. This is the end.
We cannot help seeing that this plot almost duplicates the one of the opera Carmen, only without the final murder. But at least Juan could put himself free from the terrible ties though at the cost of his life. The eternal tragedy is repeated where there is no release except death.
About the acting. Sharon Stone (Sol) does not impress in this film. She plays and behaves like an American but not a Spanish aristocratic woman. I wonder whether the creators of this movie could not find an actress of Italian or Spanish type with "wicked" expression of face and more natural way of playing. Because if Stone was good enough in Basic Instinct (it is usually forgotten though that the latter was screened later than the film described) here she definitely does not fit in the role. There is no that inner charm in her personality that could explain Juan's obsessed passion. To my mind she does not fit in this film. Because all the other actors even those in minor parts do wonderful playing, especially Ana Torrent as Carmen and Christopher Rydell as Juan.
The film is in English but they put on Spanish colour by playing Spanish tunes (something like Gypsy Kings). There is no actual fightings and views of the city are very general. There are no any fragments of real corrida if not consider waving the red rug before a bull... It does not spoil the general impression though, as it is concentrated on complicated relations among characters. So if you like strained melodramas and inflaming passion you'll probably like this film.
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