Search - Cirque du Soleil - La Nouba on DVD

Performances are unbelievable as usual......

Brian Kerecz | PA, USA | 11/06/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"While the performances cannot be critiqued in the least and thus my rating of 5 stars, it should be noted that the editing is less than perfect. In fact, this is my only disappointment with the DVD, and I am surprised as I had assumed they would get it right after the beautiful job they did on Alegria. Some of the camera shots are literally two second shots followed by another, and then another; while at other times the camera is simply so far away from the acts I could get a better view by being there. It is a frustrating thing when you are trying to focus on the acts being performed. CdS had the trampoline act in their television show "Solstrom" and it was amazing to watch; here I was struggling to see exactly what they were doing. I am giving this 5 stars because of the amazing performances, but people should know in advance that this is not up to the standards of some other CdS DVD's.

It also should be noted that this is a 2 DVD set with special features, something other shows did not have.....glad they are getting this part right.

Even with my word of caution, this is a highly recommended DVD, a must-have for any CdS fan."

La Nouba is my second favorite Cirque show

Cedric Iwashina | 03/17/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I just finished viewing "La Nouba" and I have to say that it displaces "O" as my second favorite Cirque du Soleil show. "Quidam" remains my favorite and the gold standard against which all other shows must be measured. In addition to these three, I've seen "Mystere", "Zumanity", "KA", "Varekai", "Alegria", "Saltimbanco", and "Dralion". It's no coincidence that my top three picks are all creations of Franco Dragone, who unfortunately, has left the company. All three also feature the music of Benoit Jutras. The artistry, surrealism, visual imagery, and music are all earmarks of a Dragone/Jutras show. There are some similarities between Quidam and La Nouba which might be the reason they are my favorites. They share some of the same acts such as the "German Wheel" and "Diabolos". The German Wheel acts are a bit different because in Quidam, there is only one wheel whereas in La Nouba, there are two. The result is that the single performer in Quidam maintains a faster, more acrobatic, pace where the duo in La Nouba act in sync. The Diabolos acts are virtually identical in both shows, except that Quidam's version has a spectacular ending that is lacking in La Nouba's. In both shows, the finale is the main event of the show - "Banquine" in Quidam and "Power Track (PT)/Trampoline" in La Nouba. Although "PT/Trampoline" is absolutely superb, "Banquine" remains my favorite of any act in any Cirque show. The combination of artistry, music, costumes, and unbelievable acrobatic ability in Banquine is sheer perfection. The weakest acts are the "Cloud Swing" in Quidam and "Cycles" in La Nouba. I've never really liked the clown acts in any of the Cirque shows and these two are no exception. Most Cirque shows have one or possibly two acts that are good enough to be the main event. La Nouba has two - "PT/Trampoline" and "Flying Trapeze". Quidam has three - "Banquine", "Skipping Ropes", and "Statue". Most main event acts feature large casts of at least 8-10 people and usually more. "Statue" is perhaps the only main event-quality act that has only two people. The one other advantage that Quidam has over La Nouba, at least on DVD, is the singing voice of Audrey Brisson-Jutras who is the daughter of musical composer Jutras. The lead vocalist in La Nouba is amazing, but there is something magical and haunting about Audrey's voice that sends chills up my spine every time I view Quidam. The reason that "O" drops to third place is that, as wonderful a show as it is artistically, the acrobatics are weak compared to most other shows. "O" does not contain a main event-quality acrobatic act. One other difference between Quidam and La Nouba is that La Nouba, with acts such as "High Wire", "Balancing on Chairs", and "Flying Trapeze" more closely resembles a traditional circus than Quidam. Both Quidam and La Nouba are "must have" DVDs for anyone who enjoys the Cirque du Soleil."

Good show, not so good quality dvd

Allison Moore | North Carolina | 03/22/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"There is no way you can compare a Cirque du Soleil live show and one on DVD, so I cannot say anything critical about the content of this video. If you have ever seen a show live, you know that there is far too much going on at one time for a camera to take in, and that the music and acts can only be truly appreciated when heard and seen in person. However, the quality of the sound and picture of this DVD is a really big letdown. I have seen Varekai on DVD and the colors are vibrant, the sound clear and wonderful. La Nouba looks like someone filmed it with a camcorder. The colors are dull, the picture fuzzy, and the sound less than impressive. I am thoroughly disappointed. I'm not particularly picky about picture & sound quality (I don't expect everything to be state of the art) but this is just not good. Unless maybe I just got a bad DVD (is that possible?), this is not really what it should be."

Use the best DVD player you got for this one

Robert Thomas | Maryland | 02/02/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have to criticize the editing of this DVD. I saw La Nouba in person in Orlando this last winter and loved it (front row seat on right side). I purchased this DVD just outside the doors of the building. The first part of the DVD they do this 2 second collage segment instead of showing more of the initial parade. Some of it is cool but I didn't care for it. Reminds me of what the big networks did to us in the 1970's (show "previews" of the show you are about to watch for 5 minutes).

Having said the above, even though it may be painful, watch through it anyway. It is worth it. The begining is AMAZING! If you can fast forward, look for a screen with a countdown 4 - 3 - 2 - 1, fade. They even have a character that rides a bike on a wire about 20' above the floor - upside down! Yes, that is right, the bike and the guy riding it are upside down as if gravity has been reversed. I have watched this DVD more times than I can remember and would like to watch it some more. This is why I say use your best DVD player so you can go back and forth. The video quality is excellent (s-video if you have it).

They have a 2nd DVD that contains interviews with some of the performers. This is amazing stuff. How they paint themselves, prepare for a show, and how some of their characters came about. They also interview the musicians.

I haven't felt like that since I was at a Ringly Brothers Barnum Baily circus as a child in the early 1970's. Great show Cirque!"