The Loves of Carmen

1

Dismount!

Your name?

Jos Lizarabengoa, e! Navarrs,

reporting for duty, sir.

- The Colonel will see you. Follow me.

- Thank you, sir.

Jos Lizarabengoa, e! Navarrs,

reporting for duty, sir.

My duty and pleasure, Don Jose,

to welcome you to our regiment.

Thank you, sir.

No doubt you've heard

that life is pleasant in this regiment,

that it's a fashionable catch-all

for young men of good family

with no talents to speak of,

that we're called "The Gay Policemen,"

because we do little more

than stand guard here and there

a few hours a day and keep the peace,

such as it is, in Seville.

- The rest of the time you may have heard...

- No, sir.

The rest of the time is spent

in the consumption

of great quantities of wine and gambling

and making love to the girls

from the cigarette factory.

There are approximately 200 of these girls,

and the factory is next door to the barracks.

A great convenience

and a blessing for the Dragoons.

Yes, sir.

You may have heard these things,

and they are true.

Let me inform you, however,

that a young man willing to work

and to maintain a degree of integrity,

sobriety and honour

has a bright future in this regiment.

We need a few like you here.

Your record is good.

You Navarrasians are hard-working,

moral, proud.

We need a few like you here.

- I hope you're ambitious.

- Yes, sir.

I've heard that in Seville,

a promotion in the Dragoons

is a step toward a government position.

A good thing to keep in mind.

Have you ever been in Seville before?

Do you know the city?

- No, sir.

- You are relieved of duties for 48 hours.

Look about the town,

familiarise yourself with it.

The people here in Andalusia

are a different breed from your Northerners.

- Look them over.

- Thank you, sir.

Dismissed.

There is nothing so good to the taste

as a thing that's been warmed

by the Spanish sun.

Well, not only is he beautiful,

but music comes out of him.

-It is just a watch. It chimes.

- Too bad.

I thought for a minute

you had wonderful possibilities.

It's just a watch. See?

Too bad.

But maybe we can be friends, anyway.

Would you like a bite of my orange,

little soldier?

Thank you.

On the second thought,

perhaps it would not be proper.

After all, we haven't been introduced.

I am Jos Lizarabengoa,

I just arrived in Seville, sefiorita.

Sefiorita? Me'?

You have just arrived in Seville!

- Where did you come from?

- From Navarre.

I've heard that the men from Navarre

wear little blue berets,

tell big black lies

and don't know how to love a woman.

I've always wanted to find out for myself

whether this was just gossip, or...

Look at them. The bride.

They paid out their last peseta

to get rid of her, but it was worth it.

The bride.

She'll hate him,

but she'll cling to him like a leech.

There's a payo wife for you.

And the fine groom.

In a week, he will be beating her.

- There's a payo marriage for you.

- Shut up, you!

You talk that way because nobody

would marry a gypsy like you.

No? I could marry any man in Seville

I wanted to.

But I would rather be dead, do you hear?

I would rather be dead

than be the stale wife of a spiritless payo!

Manuelito, remember me,

little pig of a payo?

I told you she'd catch you. Little estzipido.

My oranges. Thief!

My oranges. You stole my oranges.

Those are my oranges.

The thief, he stole my oranges. Stop him!

Thief! My oranges!

The thief stole my oranges. Catch him!

I hope you find

who you are looking for, Jos.

I'm not looking for anyone.

I don't know what you mean.

I've noticed you for two days now.

You search among these girls as though

you're looking for a long lost relative.

Did the gypsies carry off

your baby sister many, many years ago?

- Why did you use that word?

- What word?

-"Gypsy." I thought you said "gypsy."

- I did.

I suppose there's quite a few of them

in the town.

Gypsies?

I suppose so.

There are quite a few everywhere.

- Why?

- No reason.

Do any gypsy girls work in that factory?

One. Just one.

But she comes and goes.

One never knows...

What time is it?

- I lost my watch a couple of days ago.

- That's too bad. I was just...

Carmencita!

Carmencita.

Carmen.

Carmen, I've been

looking for two days for you.

For two days, Carmencita.

I inquired at the factory,

and you were absent.

You weren't at Lillas Pastia's.

What have you been doing?

- Sunning myself.

- I'm going on duty right now,

but if you meet me later, maybe we can

have a bottle of wine at Lillas Pastia's.

No.

Forgive me. This is my new friend,

Don Jose. This is Carmen.

It is no use bothering with him, Carmen.

Don Jos has better things

to think about than a pretty woman.

Better things?

What are better things?

Must you roll your eyes at every man?

Even the Colonel?

Such an important man

might be very useful, if he...

My eyes are my own to send where I please.

Must I tell you again?

No one tells Carmen's eyes where to go

or how to behave but Carmen!

-8:
00 at Lillas Pastia's.

- I'll be there, Carmencita.

I was thinking, otherwise you

wouldn't know when 8:00 arrived.

- Is that the watch you told me you lost?

- She must have found it somewhere.

How did she know it was yours?

Had you seen her before?

Well, a couple of days ago,

she brushed against me while I was...

Then she stole it from you.

Gypsies will always steal anything

they can get their hands on.

I don't know why I bother with that girl.

She's bad all the way through.

She lies as easily

as other people drink water.

She is a liar, a thief and a cheat,

has no more manners

than my great aunt's cat.

She's really awful.

But I'd sell my soul to hear her say

just once she loves me.

- Dirty gypsy trash!

- She is a disgrace to the town.

She laughed at my wedding

and made dirty remarks at my Manuelito.

- Did you see what she did?

- See what she's done to the milk!

I spit in your milk

and the milk of your old turtle of a mother,

and at the poor excuse of a woman

who married Manuelito.

Who did he marry? Me! Not you.

Gypsy garbage. Nobody would.

Out of the way. Out of the way.

What's going on here?

I'm dying. She killed me.

Bring a priest, I beg you, bring a priest.

I am dying!

What happened?

Quiet!

-It was the gypsy.

- She done it! I see her do it!

- Call the guard!

- Yes, sir.

Look, look at my face. She cut me.

I didn't say a word, and she cut me.

- I am dead! I am dying!

- Get her to the doctor.

May all your children be squint-eyed females

and may they all grow up

to swing from the gallows!

Now then. What started all this?

Quiet!

They called each other names

until I thought my ears would drop off,

and then that one took a knife

from her stocking and zip zap.

Don't believe a word they say.

All these filthy people are against me.

Guard!

Haul her. Take the gypsy to the magistrate.

She almost cut that woman's head off.

I hold you responsible.

Yes, sir.

I'm ready to go now, soldier.

Please take me away from here.

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