Carmen

In 1830, Prosper Mérimée travels through Andalusia and meets José, a hunted criminal condemned to death by garrote. Mérimée visits him in prison the day before the execution, and José begins to recount his life to the sympathetic writer.

José Lizarrabengoa, a serious Basque sergeant, is stationed in Córdoba. Next to his headquarters sits a cigar factory where Carmen, a sultry and tempestuous woman, works. After an argument that leaves Fernanda scarred, Carmen is arrested and José is placed in charge of her custody.

On the way to prison, Carmen flirts with José and he agrees to let her escape. In exchange, she promises him a night of passion. This encounter marks the beginning of José's obsession.

José's breach of military discipline costs him his rank and a period of imprisonment. Carmen keeps her pact, introducing him to sex for the first time and leaving him dazzled and obsessed.

Now guarding Seville's entrance to the city, José is drawn back to Carmen as she seduces him again. He turns a blind eye to her smuggler friends passing his post, and she pays him with sex in return. The bond between them deepens as his loyalty to her grows.

Carmen's activities spread beyond the factory as she becomes part of a smuggling ring and also supplements her income with prostitution. Blanca, the experienced madame who runs the house, warns José to stay away. Despite the warning, José falls deeper in love.

That same night, José waits for Carmen in a brothel. She arrives with his lieutenant, and in a fit of rage José challenges his superior to a sword fight and kills him. The act marks his complete turn toward crime.

Now a criminal, José flees the old life and joins Carmen's circle of bandits in the countryside, including Dancaire, Aristóteles, Señorito, and Juanele. He adapts quickly and earns his feared nickname 'José the Basque'. Carmen comes to join them, reigniting their dangerous affair.

Carmen's husband El Tuerto is released from prison and reappears with the band. José feels jealousy but tries to keep the peace. Carmen reveals she was sold to Tuerto when she was fourteen, deepening the possessive tension.

With Carmen's aid, José murders El Tuerto in a knife fight. The act cements their bond and cements their life as outlaws on the run.

Carmen's flirtations draw Lucas, a charismatic matador, into her orbit. José's paranoia and jealousy intensify as he suspects her fidelity. He discovers Carmen in bed with Lucas and kills the bullfighter, then flees the scene.

Locked in an empty church with Carmen, José confronts her. She proclaims she no longer loves him and dares him to kill her. Tearfully, José kills Carmen with his knife.