Review of Carnivals of the Caribbean: Puerto Rico/Trinidad/Martinique

Abstract

This vibrant production has something of the flair and energy of its subject matter, as it switches from one island to another in an effort to document the making of carnival in these settings and to confront some of the issues that swirl around carnival performances. The basic method here is to inject short snippets of carnival actions into a more leisurely fabric of interviews with both scholars and participants, with special attention paid to the men and women who conceive of and execute the schemes presented in carnival costumes, floats, and parades. The pace of the film is rapid and the movement from one setting to another swift, but this documentary scores well as a teaching resource on the basis of the excellent quality of its footage, both interview material and scenes of carnival in action.