It’s obvious from listening to her music that Sarah Brightman is a talented singer with a powerful soprano voice. From her album covers and booklet inserts, it’s clear she is also stunning and creative, with a dramatic visual flair. Usually a musician’s visual side becomes apparent only in a music video, if at all, but Sarah Brightman’s artistry extends from the words she sings to the physical interpretation of the song. This is why Diva: The Video Collection is enthralling — it is a way to experience every facet of Brightman’s work and thus appreciate her brilliance more thoroughly.
Diva: The Video Collection is arranged with perfect sense. If you just watch it from start to finish (or “Pie Jesu” to “Music of the Night”), each song will be precluded by a short introduction from Brightman herself, sitting in a bare studio, recalling certain points about the upcoming video. She may mention how the song was written, how she came to work on it, why she chose certain aspects of the video to represent the song, or recall something funny that happened on the set of the video. In the earlier part of the DVD, these narrations go on for a while, but the idea is still fresh and the length isn’t bothersome. By the end, she has a minute or two worth of intro for each song before it gets rolling, perfect to keep the momentum of the DVD going.
Overall, Brightman’s intros are interesting and fun. She appears to be genuine and down-to-earth. But then there are those cameras. In annoying MTV fashion, they can’t hold still on Brightman for even a second; they’re constantly floating right and left and up and down. There are times when she’s speaking that the camera is weaving around a shot of only her breasts. Yes, some guys would be looking there anyway, but really, how many guys are going to be watching this DVD? The cameras should give the women viewers the option to look elsewhere. The style may work if you’re on VH-1, interviewing someone for 30 seconds, but not five straight minutes. Who thought this dizzying effect would be a good idea? Luckily, one forgets about the weaving after a few intros and can focus on Brightman’s fascinating stories.
Of course, if you don’t want the intros (though I highly recommend at least one full run-through — it is worth it for the insight she provides), there is a menu selection where you can just choose to watch the videos. This is great, because I found when I finished the full set of narrations and videos, I was anxious to go back and watch my favorites again.
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