“FLOW: The Thrilling MYSTERY of Koozå”
By: Ricky Russo – Orlando, Florida (USA)
It’s morning and a small shard of light has prickled across your face, tempting you to stir from a blissful night’s rest. You resist, snuggled in under a large, fluffy comforter because there’s still a chill in the air. The sun has not had enough time to bring warmth to the day yet and you’d rather wait it out than face the cold, harsh reality of a frosty morning.
But then a stray thought wanders into your consciousness… there’s something about this particular morning you’ve been waiting for. Slowly your eyes open and focus; blood begins to flow more freely and your heart begins to beat more strongly. Then it hits you: it’s no ordinary morning, it’s Christmas morning! A time for making snowmen, savoring a big mug of hot cocoa with melted marshmallows and resting by a warm fire, snuggling into a big, warm sweater and… oh yeah! Presents!
Off the comforter is thrown and at once you bolt out of bed – cold or not – and rush downstairs to check under the tree, in your stockings hanging neatly over the fireplace, and — well, I don’t have a fireplace here in Florida (or a real tree, or snow for that matter) but I did find something wonderful in my Stitch stocking this year… three wonderful somethings. New Cirque du Soleil documentaries on DVD!
In Mid-December, just in time for the Christmas gift season, Cirque du Soleil released three new exciting behind-the-scenes lookyloos to their video repertoire: The Mystery of Mystère: When Art and Science Merge, FLOW: A Tribute to the Artists of “O”, and A Thrilling Ride Through Koozå. Each has their own visual style, storytelling method and degree of performance footage shown but they do share at least two things in common: each has colorful, animated menus (featuring characters from their respective shows) and new cardboard packaging that is 100% recyclable.
Now, let’s unwrap our presents and take a quick peek into these new documentaries.
-{ THE MYSTERY OF MYSTÈRE }-
UPC — 4-00005-08747-9
Catalog — 508747
Video — 1.78:1 Wide screen
Audio — English 5.1
Run Time — Approx 65 Minutes
Directed by — Sylvie Joanisse & Mario Rouleu
This is a uniquely filmed and presented documentary on Cirque du Soleil’s first resident show, Mystère at Treasure Island in Las Vegas. In this piece we “meet world renowned anthropologist Philippe Frey, geneticist David Suzuki, physicist Fred Alan Wolf and astrophysicist Trinh Xuan Thuan as they boldly explore The Mystery of Mystère through each of their fascinating and distinctive scientific fields of expertise.”
Mystère is as much a story of the universe (from the dawn of time to the end of the millennium) as it is a telling of man’s journey from infancy to adulthood, but if you’re scratching your head and asking what scientist’s points of view about the universe have to do with a Cirque du Soleil show you’re not alone. And, unfortunately, viewing the documentary does little to explain the reasons why this particular approach was taken, for the scientist’s contributions do little to show the causality between Mystère and its creative universe.
Be that as it may, much of the show is on display in glorious widescreen and this alone makes the disc a must buy for Cirque fans. Clips with the artists and creators and their wonderful insights into their roles intermixed with the live music of Mystère is such a delight. And while the footage is always a treat to see (as this show has never been filmed for home audiences) the way Cirque du Soleil went about presenting it is pretentious at best. As the documentary plays on, the show and its mythology are continuously explored through seemingly less and less relevant conversational clips from the scientists, and the meaning of their contributions become more and more mysterious (read: boring). Discussions about the origin of man and his relationship to the desert not withstanding, how does relativity theory and quantum physics concepts relate?
As for the bonus features included on the disc, I find they are also mixed fare:
o) “Franco Dragone meets the Scientists” (13:33) — As the title suggests, Mystère’s Director joins the crew poolside at Treasure Island and an even more banal conversation with these universal experts ensues.
o) “Food for Thought” (16:00) — This selection gives the scientists a chance to voice their concerns about topics foremost on their minds, while characters from the show interact with the desert backdrop behind them. While their insights prove to be interesting, discussing such topics like the air we breathe, death, life and the meaning of existence, nothing of what the scientists discuss in this feature has a real connection to the show or Cirque du Soleil itself, so its inclusion is somewhat strange.
o) “Impressions and Interrogations” (2:37) — Earlier we’ve heard from the scientists about what the mystery of Mystère is, now it’s time to hear from the artists who put on the show: why does Mystère remain popular after all these years? We hear from Brian Dewhurst (Clown), Florence Gaillard (Dancer), Eligiusz Skoczylas (Chinese Poles), Ashley Jean Lamb, Vladislav Lissenkov (Korean Plank), Michelle Cronje (Dancer), Arnaud Bertrand (Dancer), Paul Cameron, and Steel Wallis in this very short montage.
o) “Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas” (2:30) – Besides the short Impressions clip, this may be one of the best parts of the disc! For the first time we are treated to all five official Las Vegas show promos. Normally these are plastered across large LCD screens at the airport or in specific locations on MGM-Mirage resort properties, but for the first time you get to watch them over and over and over again!
o) “FLOW DVD Promo” (1:38) — A decent sized preview of the FLOW DVD, the counter-part documentary to this disc.
o) “Join CirqueClub!” (0:30) — Last, but not least, a small CirqueClub promo.
In the end perhaps Cirque du Soleil took their avant-garde approach a little too far. The show footage and interviews with cast and creators alike were a treat to see, but conversations with scientists over the mysteries of the universe seemed very much out of place. Perhaps a return to the proverbial drawing board is in order. And perhaps THAT is the great Mystery of Mystère.
All in all, the “Mystery of Mystère” receives a B-.
-{ FLOW: A TRIBUTE TO THE ARTISTS OF «O» }-
UPC — 4-00005-08746-2
Catalog — 508746
Video — 1.78:1 wide screen
Audio — English 5.1
Run Time — Approx 80 minutes
Directed by — Oana Suteu Khintirian
The back cover states, “Cirque du Soleil presents FLOW, a poetic immersion into the Depths of «O» and over the meandering Colorado River. A metaphorical musing of human presence on the blue planet is raised as the artists of «O» express and explore the intimacy they share with the four elements: Fire, Air, Earth and Water.”
After sitting through the previous disc, FLOW turned out to be everything that Mystery of Mystère wasn’t – it was funny, artistic, and most of all entertaining! Drawing a queue from Mystery of Mystère (submerging the show’s characters in real-life settings like the Colorado River and surrounding desert) but taking it in an entirely different direction (no scientists!), FLOW takes us on a journey of discovery: how the water relates to the show and how the show and its space relate to the water. There are wonderful insights into the creative aspects of «O» within – quips with creators and artists alike – as well as beautifully shot scenes from each of the accompanying acts. This is definitely a must-have for fans of Cirque du Soleil.
The disc’s bonus features are also equally compelling, once again setting this disc apart from its “mysterious” counterpart:
o) “Steps below the Surface” (6:09) — A wonderful birds-eye view (or is that scuba-eye view?) of the carefully crafted ballet that ensues below the stage in the depths of the pool. Watch the water change from blue to red to green as we witness the changes from a point of view that only a select few have seen… until now.
o) “Water in the Desert” (9:51) — “Water is the memory of the world and theater is the expression of memory” and many other insights are gleaned from this piece, a look into the Creation of «O». We hear from Director Franco Dragone and Director of Creation Gilles Ste-Croix, as they sit pool-side at the Treasure Island and reminisce about creating Cirque du Soleil’s first aquatic show.
o) “Russian Swing” (3:51) — Complete from beginning to end, see the entire Russian Swing number as presented in the show!
Last, but not least, two of the same features found on the Mystery of Mystère DVD: the “Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas” promos and the “Join CirqueClub!” preview.
Overall, this disc and its accompanying documentary are much more rounded. While the program does infuse the same style as Mystery of Mystère, it leaves out the use of scientists to help explain abstract rules of the universe in attempting to explore the show’s theme. The only complaint we might have about the documentary is the repeated multi-language voiceover for the word water. Twice really would have been sufficient.
All in all, “FLOW: A Tribute to the Artists of «O»” receives an A-.
-{ A THRILLING RIDE THROUGH KOOZÅ }-
UPC — 4-00005-09122-3
Catalog — 509122
Video — 1.78:1 wide screen
Audio – English/French 2.0/5.1
Run Time — Approx 47 minutes
Last, but not least, is this “captivating documentary that looks at the creative process of Koozå, the latest and critically acclaimed touring show from Cirque du Soleil.”
Koozå whose name is inspired by the Sanskrit word “koza,” meaning “box,” “chest” or “treasure,” tells the story of a melancholy loner (The Innocent) in search of his place in the world and through his search we are taken on a journey through strength, fragility, laughter, turmoil and harmony.
In this piece, Cirque du Soleil invites us to “embark on a journey that starts at the humble Beginnings of some of Cirque’s creative pioneers as they share their personal voyage – and a few revealing anecdotes – that highlight the multiple stages of the creation of a live show. Meet the clowns and acrobats that bring Koozå to life as these audacious performers discuss their experience and share a few insights into this daring acrobatic show – from studio rehearsals to the big top raising, to the world premiere in Montreal!”
But does it live up to its hype?
Yes! Starting in early 2007 and taking us through to the official premiere in August, “A Thrilling Ride through Koozå” is everything a documentary should be and more! We hear from Director David Shiner, the ideas and thoughts behind what kind of show he was looking to create (one that brought us back to Cirque roots – thrills, chills and emotions) and all the work that he put in to conceiving a show of this caliber. We’re taken on the journey the costume, make-up, and set designers must undergo in order to bring the spectacle to life. We see the artists as they train for their parts, as well as settle into every-day Cirque life. And what did Guy think about the show a month before the first public performance? Watch and see!
There are no bonus features on this disc, but it doesn’t need any. The documentary is perfect all on its own. If you’ve not seen the brand-new touring show yet, check out this disc for a nice preview!
I give “A Thrilling Ride Through Koozå” an A+!
Pick up all three new documentaries today at the Cirque du Soleil Online Boutique. “Mystery of Mystère” and “FLOW” are $25.00 USD each and “A Thrilling Ride Through Koozå” is $19.00.
