David Melville, the noted writer and film historian based in Edinburgh, has provided Flamenco in New York with his own selection of the best (and worst) of flamenco in film:
Dance is difficult to film and flamenco dance is no exception. But the obvious first port of call would be Carlos Saura, who made a string of dance-related films in the 80s and 90s. Carmen, Blood Wedding, El Amor Brujo, and, yes, Flamenco.
Then there are the kitsch 'españolada' musicals made in Spain under Franco. Anything with Sara Montiel, Carmen Sevilla, Lola Flores or Imperio Argentina will probably have some flamenco scenes. La Bella Lola (1962) with Montiel and Carmen la de Triana (1938) with Argentina have particularly good flamenco.
The great male dancer, Antonio, made a couple of films: Duende y Misterio del Flamenco (US title, Flamenco, 1952) by Edgar Neville and Honeymoon (1959) by Michael Powell. Both have spectacular dance scenes and Antonio in the Powell film gives possibly the campest performance in film history.
My favourite forgotten star, Conchita Montenegro, began as a flamenco dancer. She dances in the silent film of The Woman and the Puppet (1929) as well as in later films like Una Boda en el Infierno (1942).
Possibly the worst flamenco dancing I've ever seen is in Leni Riefenstahl’s Tiefland (1954), followed closely by Viviane Romance in the French film of Carmen (1945). At least Romance is a good actress.
As for films that use flamenco in a dramatic context: The Barefoot Contessa, Death of a Cyclist (1955), 10:30 PM Summer (1966), Volaverunt (Bigas Luna, 1999), The Flower of My Secret (Pedro Almodovar, 1995), and Callas Forever (2002). There's a very kinky drag flamenco scene in the José Larraz soft-porn film, The Coming of Sin, a.k.a., Violation of the Bitch (1978).
Also, the great tragic flamenco dance at the end of The Place without Limits (1978) by Arturo Ripstein, scripted without credit by Manuel Puig (because of Ripstein and he had a serious falling out).
The Top Ten: Duende y Misterio del Flamenco; Flamenco; Honeymoon; The Woman and the Puppet (Jacques de Baroncelli); El Dorado (Marcel L'Herbier, 1921); Carmen la de Triana (Florian Rey); La Bella Lola (Alfonso Balcazar); The Flower of My Secret; The Place without Limits; and Callas Forever (Franco Zeffirelli). Dishonourable Mention: Tiefland.
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