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It is
really tough to make anything about the circus
absolutely boring and tedious, and thankfully the PBS
six part documentary entitled "Circus" is not at all a
waste of time. In fact it's one of the most engrossing
documentary series I've ever seen. I've never been one
of those people who have been enamored with the circus,
but I respect the mythology and whimsy of it and its
seduction that involves living a nomadic and enigmatic
life that revolves around your profession and is free of
mundane attachments. It offers new locations, a new
surprise everyday, and you're able to live however you
please. But what "Circus" does is focus on the technical
aspects of the life and also explores how it's very much
a mini-society in and of itself that not many of us are
aware of.
Free of the
sensationalism of a normal reality show, "Circus" really
is one hell of a fascinating mini-series that dissects
the intricacies of performances, the lives of people who
work among the scenery and constructs, and the rigorous
process that goes in to auditions and rehearsals, all of
which is centered on the passion of the performance. For
some people it's a bonafide career driven on passion.
For others it's a profession that they take seriously
and never intend on fooling around, or else they could
hurt themselves horribly. And for others it's merely a
job. It's something that can give them something new.
Some of the people who work as repairmen and carpenters
are even homeless and rely on the food and shelter of
the circus production to keep them alive, and are more
than willing to work for hours just to acquire that
simple necessity we normally take for granted.
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the circus as a way of keeping him off the streets
in the Bronx. Meanwhile many of the horse wranglers
all stem from a world where they're devotion to
animals, especially of the equestrian persuasion, is
something of a spiritual obligation. Furthermore,
"Circus" shows the audience how this world is very
much like our own. There are class systems among the
workers and performers. Some are given luxurious
trailers, and some have to bunk in three layered
beds that are as big as coffins. There plays on
politics where some performers are given special
rehearsals, while others are reduced to fending for
themselves. There are charming love stories
including the young couple who met in third grade
and sold their lives away to live in the circus, and
most importantly specific sub-plots among the
trainers that involve their bonds with the animals,
and their methods as clowns and jugglers. These are
people who have stuck together and come from a long
line of performers, and challenge themselves day in
and day out for the love of the game and the one
night for the audience.
It's a surprisingly
compelling documentary series right in the same ilk
of PBS' other top notch docs, with some startling
dramatic elements that never feel manipulated or
altered for melodrama. "Circus" comes packaged in a
three disc DVD set with six hours of footage for the
Big Apple Circus assembly with some rather
compelling material, some of which is shocking and
emotional. The special features include even more
footage not included in the actual mini-series with
more intimate profiles of the performers and
professionals in the show. I highly recommend this
documentary for anyone looking for a peek behind the
Big Apple Circus that isn't a fluffy distraction for
the children. |
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