Tango is the kind of balletic dance that infuses sex and mystery in equal parts, and is traditionally performed by a man and a woman. It necessitates coordination and skill and lots of practice, like any other dance. Carlos Saura's film, "Tango," is an attempt to understand the history of tango mixed in with personal relationships and creative talents to produce a film on tango. It is not a complete success, but it is a visually luscious trip.
Miguel Angel Sola plays Mario Sanchez, a filmmaker who feels his private life is in a state of confusion. His former wife, Laura Fuentes (Cecilia Narova), is living with another man, though Mario still loves her. Laura is also a tango dancer, and is part of the troupe who will perform in Mario's theatrical presentation on the history of tango. A rich gangster, Angelo Larroca (Juan Luis Galiardo), gives Mario a new recruit, an especially attractive dancer, Elena Flores (Mia Maestro), who eventually has an affair with Mario. Naturally, Angelo loves Elena and if he discovers she is having an affair, it will result in death.
"Tango" is imminently watchable when it shows us the pure tango dances against creative, color backgrounds. There are silhouettes, flashes of color, and just about every other camera trick you can imagine from the imaginative cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, an active collaborator of Bernardo Bertolucci's. I also love the moments when we witness the preparation of the production itself, the set design and the choreography of the movements of the dancers, etc. These are the moments that count, but the human interest level is at a minimum.
I wanted to know more about the middle-aged, flamboyant dancer Carlos Nebbia (well-played by Juan Copes) and his tango desires. I also wanted to know more about Mario Sanchez and the relationships with these women. There is one effective scene where he has a dinner date with Elena and he tries to explain his feelings about men and women, and fails to make sense. There is also a hint of Mario's imagination unfolding before our eyes, like when we see him inattentive as a young boy in school or when he envisions a strikingly sexy dance in silhouette while he blows the fan to create the mood. But these are all hints of character development and nothing more.
Perhaps I expected more from director Carlos Saura, who made the flamenco masterpiece "Carmen," a film of unbridled passions in every sense of the word and strong characters. If you want tango dancing and colorful, imaginative landscapes of color and sound, "Tango" is the film for you. If you like some human involvement and a meatier story, look elsewhere.
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