Cirque Du Soleil: Worlds Away (2012)
Certified: U
Duration: 91 minutes
Directed: Andrew Adamson
Starring: Erica Linz, Igor Zaripov, Lutz Halbhubner, Dallas Barnett, Matt Gillanders, John Clarke
KRS release
Cirque Du Soleil was started off in 1984 by two street performers whose concept was to have a modern circus, without animals.
Today, Cirque du Soleil employs over 4,000 people, has performed in every continent (except Antarctica) and has reached an audience of millions.
Worlds Away is not the first Cirque Du Soleil film but it is produced by James Cameron, one of the modern pioneers of 3D technology. The film, that incorporates acts from Cirque du Soleil’s Las Vegas shows, is a totally immersive one and is guaranteed to keep one breathless.
The camera’s lens follows Mia (Erica Linz), a young woman who ventures into a travelling carnival and, after an encounter with a clown, peeks in to see The Aerialist (Igor Zaripov), the troupe’s main attraction. When she sees him fall to the ground, she goes off to help him and ends up in the world of the Cirque du Soleil, a dream-like fantastical world that is based on one circus act after the other.
The plot is just a mechanism, a necessary trigger board for the film. The visual feast is a mixture of a variety of worlds and influences that range from samurai to circus, ballet to Beatles, 1920s musical to yoga. The silver screen is like a cinematic buffet table come to life.
Linz makes for a good guide as she takes us with her through this the proceedings; and in the finale she shows off what she can do herself.
The film features several jaw-dropping numbers of circus prowess. The 3D medium places the audience within touching distance of the performers.
Seeing an acrobat perked so precariously on top of a Ferris wheel is set to make one gasp, while watching an underwater sequence will provide food for thought. Flying up to the moon is dazzling, while travelling down river on an upturned umbrella provides more visual twists.
The circus troupe are experts in their field but the cinematography adds layers of mood and atmosphere and provides us with a unique point of view. The 3D on show is not made to jump out at the audience but rather to place the viewers at the heart of proceedings.
This film is a vast improvement over the short featurettes that Cirque du Soleil have already made and shows how much technology has changed in such a short time.
The resulting film combines dance, art, trapeze, fantasy and technology to provide a spectacle that is simply scintillating.