Click to read the article
Gypsy Caravan (2006)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:49
Fresh:42
Rotten:7
Average Rating:6.9/10
Consensus: A dynamic doc following five Romani bands is a pleasure for the senses thanks to vibrant colors and eclectic music.
Theatrical Release:Jun 15, 2007 Limited
Box Office: $134,215
Synopsis: An audience favorite at film festivals worldwide, GYPSY CARAVAN is a gorgeous surround-sound celebration of misery and oppression turned into music. GYPSY CARAVAN is a dazzling display of the... An audience favorite at film festivals worldwide, GYPSY CARAVAN is a gorgeous surround-sound celebration of misery and oppression turned into music. GYPSY CARAVAN is a dazzling display of the musical world of the Roma, juxtaposed to the real world they live in. This rich feature documentary celebrates the luscious music of top international Gypsy performers and interweaves stirring real life tales of their home life and social background. Shot by documentary icon Albert Maysles, the film takes place on tour in Europe and in the USA during the Gypsy Caravan concert tour, as well as on location in Spain, Macedonia, Romania and India. --© Shadow Distribution [More]
Studio: Shadow Distribution
Reviews for Gypsy Caravan
For its glimpses of various lifestyles and personalities -- an ancient but spry fiddler, a young male who performs in drag -- it isn't bad.
The energy is electric, the camerawork crisp and colourful, the editing note-perfect. . . . for the Roma, music sounds the notes of a harsh, maligned cultural history, making them all the more unforgettable while demanding remembrance, even awe.
Gypsy Caravan – When the Road Bends evokes the US tour of Roma musicians whose astonishing diversity ranges from the Indian group with their bejewelled drag dancer to oompah-based Romanians.
So long seen as ragged leftovers from an older historical epoch, the Roma turn out to be a modern people who have a lot to teach over-developed societies about what it means to be human.
These extraordinary musicians ought to put an end to any sniffiness about Gypsy music.
Blessed with a wealth of characters, moving stories and roof-raising performances, Gypsy Caravan is as rich as the music it promotes. Fans of Buena Vista should definitely join the club.
It’s a slow, sometimes grating process for an hour or so, but once everyone wises up to their shared heritage, a euphoric celebration of what it means to be a gypsy takes flight.
The poverty contrasts sharply with the excitement of the tour bus and cuts to the heart of the songs themselves, famed for their "joy and sorrow".
The characters are as lively as their music and I enjoyed riding along with them.
While the backstage tour footage is sometimes repetitive, it's delightful to see the musicians take up each other's songs as the tour progresses.
The emphasis remains on the personal stories of the players themselves who, for all their backstage squabbling, identify more with each other than any of the countries in which they've settled.
[Dellal's] attempts to 'straighten' the narrative through exposition disguised as the walkie-talkie messages of an unseen stage manager, however, are distractingly ham-handed.
If music were all, Gypsy Caravan would be amazing. As is, it's worth seeing, but you may get frustrated at the way Dellal raises provocative questions about ancestry and prejudice...
Gypsy Caravan succeeds in its primary goal to open ears and minds to Roma music, accurately described as being about 'the rhythm, the language, the feeling.'
Latest News for Gypsy Caravan
June 14, 2007:
Critical Consensus: "Silver Surfer" Trips Fantastically, "Nancy Drew" Without a Clue, "DOA" Dead on Arrival
Pop quiz, hotshot: which of the lesser Roberts do you prefer? Because this Friday, it's a match between Eric Roberts (playing the bad guy in "DOA: Dead or Alive") and... More...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 84% 84% | The Princess and the Frog | 12/11 |
| 80% 80% | A Single Man | 12/11 |
| 55% 55% | The Lovely Bones | 12/11 |
| 82% 82% | Invictus | 12/11 |
| | Avatar | 12/18 |
RT On Current TV
DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
CloseSponsored Links
Around The Network
- Gypsy Caravan at Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh Links
Featured

MSN Movies offers a little background on the success of Disney Animation.

TIME takes a look back at the history of vampires on film.

Techland examines the visual splendor of Peter Jackson's upcoming film.

AOL put together a list of 10 recent news items that would be perfect as TV Movies.

Hollywood.com's C. Robert Cargill explores how remakes and reboots have warped our thinking.
Promos

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!



Top Critic


