Carmen (2003)

The mark of a classic is that it withstands the test of time. Prosper Mérimée penned the novella “Carmen” about a seductive Seville gypsy in 1845. By 1875, composer Georges Bizet set the story to music in the opera Carmen with mezzo-soprano Célestine Galli-Marié in the titular role. Among the film versions that followed are Cecil B. DeMille’s silent movie Carmen (1915) starring Geraldine Farrar; the Oscar Hammerstein II musical Carmen Jones (1954) starring Dorothy Dandridge; and the MTV adaptation Carmen: A Hip Hopera (2001) starring Beyoncé Knowles. Of course, we’d be remiss not to add the Spanish flick Carmen (2003) to this list. This time around, the sexy story finds a perfect vehicle in the smoking-hot bod of Paz Vega. Set in 1830, the drama begins when a criminal named José (Leonardo Sbaraglia) relays his tragic story to a French writer (Jay Benedict). Through a flashback, he explains how he came to be a man sentenced to death. As you can guess, it’s because he fell for the femme fatale Carmen (Vega). Judging by her beautiful bare breasts, fluffy muff and firm fanny, we can hardly blame him. Nevertheless, the gorgeous gal just isn’t into him. But since José wants to posses Carmen, his passion turns into jealousy. As such, he kills her lovers Tuerto (Antonio Dechent) and Lucas (Josep Linuesa). And when Carmen dares him to off her too, he does. What a waste! If José couldn’t have her, he should have killed himself so others could Paz the time!