"Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away" (2012)

When I look at the first movies made in color, I see a certain "Look at the cool things we can do now!" that interlaced the films.  There was still acting and plot and such, but there was a certain degree of thought given towards the visual.  This is not to say directors don't do that now, but today's visual is for a different purpose--the visual's contribution towards the story, or the setting, or the character, or the symbolic--not for the pleasure of visual in and of itself.

Then there's the joy of story telling through dance.  I remember enjoying this pleasure through The Lord of the Dance, but it sure not something that is very pervasive in American culture.  A pity.

So, Cirque du Soleil--as so many know--embraces the joy of the visual for it's own sake, and story telling through dance.

On top of all that, is the joy of seeing athletic prowess being used to create something beautiful.  Something more that is very sorely lacking in American culture in general.  How came we to lose storytelling through dance?  or the pleasure of the visual for something other than, shall we say, "courting ritual"?

This particular Cirque du Soleil taps into our romanticized notions of pirates, and childhood memories of watching the circus on TV.

Now I want to watch The Lord of the Dance again.  And this Worlds Away again.  Both at the same time.

The pleasure of the visual

"Fantomas I: In the Shadow of the Guillotine" (1913)

I've watched 1 or 2 of the Fantomas movies, but I haven't necessarily seen them in order.  I don't think this is one of the ones I've already seen, but it definitely sets up the characters, and now that I've seen a few, I have a little better idea what is going on.  Helps to see them in order--you know--better to see them as "here's the characters" followed by "here's what happens next" instead of the other way around.  Even if I have seen this one before, it was good to see it again feeling more in the know and having a little easier time keeping track of who's who.

Silent film cinematography tricks intrigue me.

This Fantomas:  sets up characters, and some of the initial impetus for how everyone is connected to everyone else.  Characters include Fantomas, Inspector Juve, Lady Beltham, Princess Danidoff, and Nibet.  This episode has a few other characters besides those, but I think these are some of the characters that also have impacts on the plot in episodes to come.

I'm assuming the music was a modern addition when they restored the film even though it was "period".