Restoration & New Print
A major restoration of this film has been done by
Charles Doble.
He has restored the ballets to their full length (they were cut in the
version shown on TV) and restored some of the missing scenes from
the back story.
The restored film had its premiere at the
San Sebastian film festival in September 2002.
It was shown three times at the festival. For the first screening,
Charles introduced it, giving some of the background to the film &
details of the restoration. For the second screening, Charles had had
to go home but by then Ian Christie & star of the film Rosita Sergova
had arrived in San Sebastian, so they came to see it.
Because the film had only just been printed there was a slight delay
each time they changed reels, but that was the only thing wrong
with it. It was wonderful to see it on the wide screen, as it was
intended to be seen. The colours were gorgeous, bright & clear.
The restored sections of the ballets meant that they now make
complete sense, fitting well into the story.
Plot summary
The main story is really a sort of travelogue around Spain (which
is why it was so appropriate to show the restoration in Spain)
with some dance interludes.
Mainly set to the music of "The Honeymoon Song" by Mikis Theodorakis,
performed here by Marino Marini and his quartet, it was subsequently
recorded by many people including The Beatles.
Ballet dancer Anna (Cato?) (Ludmilla Tchérina) has just
given up the ballet to marry Kit Kelly (Anthony Steel). They
are touring Spain for their honeymoon before going to live on
the sheep station that Kit runs in Australia. They arrive in Spain
and start driving around in their open top Bentley. They soon
encounter a large American car driven at high speed, but they have
hopes that they won't meet up with those maniacs again - some hope :)
As the American car races past them at high speed, Kit comments that
they must get through a lot of tyres. Sure enough, we next see them
having to change their burst tyre. The car is driven by the famous
Spanish dancer Antonio (Antonio) and his wife Rosita Candelas
(Rosita Sergova). They are a fiery couple, always arguing
and when Antonio goes down to a stream to wash up after changing the
tyre, Rosita drives away without him. Antonio, stranded in the middle
of nowhere, starts dancing down the road in his classic Zapateado.
Kit & Anna drive by and offer Antonio a lift. Anna declares she is
hungry & and Antonio says he knows where they can get a good Spanish
breakfast. They drive in to the "Tavern del Toro" where Antonio is
known and start to eat a wonderful breakfast.
Antonio thinks he has seen Anna before but she says that this is
her first trip to Spain.
One old lady pushes
forward her daughter (granddaughter?) who she wants to dance for Antonio.
Lucia (Carmen Rojas) dances the "El Macarona (?)" flamenco
but then Antonio asks the musicians to play "El Taranto" to really
see what she can do. After a short while Antonio joins her and there
follows some of the sexiest dancing I've ever seen on screen.
Rosita turns up at the end of the flamenco and another argument
ensues so Kit & Anna slip away.
The honeymoon continues and Kit & Ann arrive at their hotel just
in time to admire the sunset. They want to learn some Spanish but
everyone insists on speaking English to them. After a delightful
meal, where Kit insists on drinking only Pepsi Cola, they retire
to their room where Anna does her best to distract Kit from
his book on "Fertility and Animal Breeding". That Kit's a real
romantic :)
Next day, after a bit more travelogue, Kit & Anna enter the bar
- only to find Antonio is already there. They are introduced to the
"cocktail set" and discover who Antonio is.
Anna goes to Antonio's studio where
they are rehearsing his new ballet, "Los amantes
de Teruel" (The lovers of Teruel) as a classical ballet but with a
Spanish style. Anna has some suggestions
to help the pas-de-deux. When she says she can't explain them, only
show him, he realises she is a dancer and at last discovers who
she really is. As Anna dances with Antonio neither are aware that
Kit has come to the studio and is watching, not very pleased that
his wife is dancing again. We see that Antonio's company includes
Rosita and that Lucia has now joined them as well.
Kit and Anna travel south (a bit more travelogue) and go to see
the painting
"The burial of Count Orgaz" by El Greco. Kit suddenly has
an artistic streak awakened and uncharacteristically declares that
that is how Antonio's ballet should be staged.
They then visit the Mosque at Cordoba and other places
Early the next morning Kit goes off to help a breeder of bulls with
his round-up and Anna is taken to the Alhambra at Granada by Antonio.
They dance around the palace in a light hearted flirtation and
Anna declares that she really has given up the ballet and is
willing to settle down with Kit. Antonio isn't so sure. When they
go to join Kit he has switched from Pepsi Cola to wine (at last)
and there is a mild confrontation between Kit and Antonio. The
film is building up to the two men representing Don Diego & Don
Pedro, competing for the attentions of Doña Isabel in
the story of "Les amantes de Teruel" (The Lovers of Teruel) which
will be the finalé of the film.
Kit and Anna go to see a performance of "El amor Brujo" (Bewitched Love).
The story is that of a girl who's lover had died but now haunts her and
prevents her from getting on with her life (& new lover). The lead is
beautifully danced by Antonio & Rosita with a cameo from Léonide
Massine as the ghost (an incredible performance given his 60+ years) and
Carmen Rojas as the girl's friend who tries to lure the ghost away.
Also seen are Antonio's sister Pastora as the sorceress.
The restored version contains the full ballet, a lovely mixture
of classical ballet and flamenco style. Some Powell touches may be
seen here as they dance through the gypsy caves with the "slithy toves"
(creatures from beyond the grave) and the wide screen shot with
Antonio & Rosita dancing in one cave & Carmen & Massine in another.
While Antonio is dancing he is flirting with Anna much to Kit's
disgust. Anna & Kit argue that night.
The next night, in Teruel, the guide (the voice of the guide is actually Michael Powell) explains the legend of the
lovers of Teruel to Kit and Anna as they stand on the terrace looking
at the statues. But Anna falls ill and develops a fever. In her
fevered imagination she hallucinates the story of the Lovers of
Teruel as a great ballet, with Ludmilla dancing the part of Doña
Isabel and Antonio as Don Diego, her lover. Of course it would have
been better had Anthony Steel danced the role of Don Pedro, the man
Isabel was forced to marry - but Tony Steel was no dancer. Again a
mix of classical ballet and Spanish style, with Antonio looking
good in his Moorish make-up. The restoration contains the full ballet
to the music of Manuel de Falla. The final funeral has the echoes
of the El Greco painting mentioned earlier.
The next morning Antonio comes to visit Anna, now in hospital with
Kit by her side. We learn that Anna and Kit will be off to Australia
in a few days and Kit thinks that at last they have seen the last
of Antonio. But no, he tells them he is starting a world tour!
Antonio dances out of the hospital and the camera says farewell
to Spain.
Adios España
Mucho Gusto!
A film with some drawbacks, mainly in the travelogue sequences which
seem very tame and dated nowadays. But the restored version shows
that the dance sequences are as exciting as they ever were. They
are now complete ballets and make much more sense and fit the
overall story much better.
At San Sebastian we had the pleasure of seeing it with Rosita Sergova
and talking to her about it afterwards. She was very open in her
praise for her fellow performers and expressed delight at seeing
so many familiar places and faces, especially those at Antonio's
studio.
See
pictures of Rosita Sergova and others at the festival.
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