Sarah Brightman - Harem Desert Fantasy

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DVD Reviews of Sarah Brightman - Harem Desert Fantasy

DVD Review: A beautiful visual accompaniment to a beautiful album
Summary: 4 Stars

An hour-long montage of music videos, on-location footage, and interviews, the "Harem" DVD presents most of the highlights of the album as well as new videos for some previously released songs. In each one, Sarah is shown, raven hair past her waist, in exotic and often revealing outfits, arrayed with any manner of jewerly and/or make-up. That Sarah looks this good at her age (42 at time of filming) is amazing. The footage itself is all bright, vivid, and amazingly colorful, and even with the sound off, the images are wonderful to watch. Highlights of the DVD include the quiet "Stranger In Paradise", the erotic "Anytime, Anywhere", and the VH1-ready "Free." Of particular note is the brilliantly gorgeous video for "Beautiful," featuring Sarah surrounded by flames in a white outfit, or being showered with rose petals.

For all its beauty and wonder, the program does falter in a few locations. While a live performance clip of "Nessun Dorma" is nice, it is simply a repeat from her previously-released "La Luna" DVD, and most Brightman fans will have already seen it. Sarah is also a singer foremost, not a dancer, and occasionally, her posturing during the musical numbers seems overly theatrical, mechanical, and a bit distracting, most obvious in the otherwise-fine video for "It's A Beautiful Day." Some people may also be turned off by the romanticized, Victorian view of the Middle East that Sarah presents. While it makes sense when Sarah explains the Harem project in the interview clips, some may not appreciate it.

The DVD includes a video for "The War Is Over", a duet Sarah performs with Arabian singer Kadim Al Sahir. This clip was cut from many broadcast versions of the special, and it includes a number of images that may offend some particularly sensitive viewers, including Arabian men riding on horseback to battle armed with guns or another scene of a Muslim funeral procession. While it's all very "Lawrence Of Arabia", some people may find the images a bit inflammatory given the current political events surrounding the Middle East. Still, the song is lovely, and the video is very nice.

This DVD is a fine addition to any music lover's collection, and Brightman fans should not hesitate to pick up a copy. Rarely has Sarah been so vibrant and alluring as she is here. A beautiful DVD album for a beautiful voice. 4 out of 5 stars.

Description of Sarah Brightman - Harem Desert Fantasy

International Music CDs

• Music > Styles
• Pop