Cirque du Soleil - Fire Within (TV Series)
by Bachir Bensaddek, Ezra Soiferman, Lewis Cohen
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Actor: Adrian Berinde, Andrew Atherton, Ashley Beaver, Kevin Atherton, Paul James BannermanDirector: Bachir Bensaddek, Ezra Soiferman, Lewis Cohen
Brand: COL
Writer: Lewis Cohen
Producer: Amy Introcaso
Producer: Arnie Gelbart
Producer: Christian Barcellos
Producer: Marie Côté
Writer: Cleo Paskal
DVD: Region Code 99
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Portuguese (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: AC-3, Box set, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen, 1.78:1
Running Time: 286 minutes
Published: 2004-11-01
DVD Release Date: 2004-11-02
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Reviews of Cirque du Soleil - Fire Within (TV Series)
DVD Review: worthwhile but also disappointing
Summary: 3 Stars
I can imagine much hand-wringing on the part of Cirque faithful who read this. I love seeing Cirque perform -- have seen 2 different live shows and 2-3 others on DVD myself -- and think they're superb. However it has to be said that while very interesting and entertaining at times, this series is also frustratingly inconsistent in many ways, and in the end one cannot help but wonder how tough the competition was the year it won its Emmy, with these problems.
But first, yes, it is interesting and entertaining and worthwhile, most especially for Cirque fans (who may like about anything involving the troupe) but also for others who don't know much about the whole Cirque phenomenon. The reality show-type format may not get much more interesting than this, in fact, except for lurid, tasteless fare in other genres. And as a humanizing, behind the scenes look at some of whatt (and who) goes into a Cirque show, it's a good testament to the Cirque spirit.
Unfortunately there are some consistent problems that make the series continue to fall short of its promise. I would say the most damaging is simple inconsistency from point to point or show to show -- sometimes even within the same show -- in terms of what's going on as the people in focus try to get Varekai in shape for its opening. One of the simplest, most illustrative examples is in episode 8. Hopefuls Garth and Ashley, who have been struggling throughout to make the grade and get their act into the show, are under pressure at a big dress rehearsal in front of the downright Napoleonesque Cirque owner (and it's made clear throughout that there is just one guy at the top with all the final say). They perform and the narrator comments that they did well. Nevertheless, after a few intervening scenes, we are abruptly seeing a phone call discussing them and cutting their act due to their struggling, and the narrator suddenly comments that they may never realize their dream. ???
This is not an isolated case: contortionist Olga joins the troupe and the show about 5 episodes in, and is touted as an established star with years of experience who will lead the show. But then an episode or two later, suddenly she is the focus of concern, as she is seen continually dragging in practice and her unhealthy lifestyle is called into question. Much hand-wringing ensues, and the narrator again comes forth with dramatic phrasing boding ill for the future. The issue is then dropped without resolution.
These things continue throughout the series on smaller scales, too -- the pressure on the female trapeze troupe to be more "sexually mature" in their act and their rightfully suspicious reaction to what that may imply, for example, which is also left behind, of the comment at the end of show 5 or 6 that the "dangerous" Russian swing may be brought in, even though you have to try damned hard to ever get a glimpse of it later -- make it hard to understand what is going on and hard to commit to the show or even to believe the narrator. And the narration is definitely overly melodramatic, detracting enotionally from enjoyment of the whole process being observed, even if it does help with simple explanation of many things. It can be so notorious that it brings to mind the situation with Ridley Scott's Blade Runner and the lousy, campy narration the studio forced him to add to the original release, which he blessedly removed in the director's cut.
One other serious difficulty in my view is the omission of attention to the music. Obviously not every performer can be covered without turning the thing into a mammoth documentary. However in the physical acts obviously an attempt has been made at including a variety, even so much so that some members doing a particular act (the other women on the trapeze, the other Icarian acrobats) are basically left out. So why so little focus on the music? One of the great strengths of Cirque du Soleil is consistently high quality, original music, and a lot of lip service and some screen time is dedicated early on to talent scout Michel's search for just the right singer. This is said to be very important, yet very little time is paid to that aspect of things once the singer has (supposedly) been found. Indeed as he himself comments, something is wrong because he only gets to spend half an hour with the show's composer during over 3 months of work on the show. More attention to the musical aspect of things would not have more appropriately represented the spirit of Cirque du Soleil and would have been more consistent with the rest of the show's approach.
These aspects keep the series from living up to its very high promise, but again it will definitely be worthwhile to Cirque fans and probably interesting to many others who are either interested in finding out about Cirque or such performing arts or who would like to see some more interest and quality in a reality show setting.
Description of Cirque du Soleil - Fire Within (TV Series)
The 2003 winner of the Emmy® for Outstanding Nonfiction Program (Alternative), this 13-episode television series offers an intimate look into the dreams, trials and aspirations of a core group of performers involved in the creation and launch of Varekai?, the live production from Cirque du Soleil.Bestsellers in DVD
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