Product Description

Longform Film: The Voice of Enigma, Principles of Lust/Sadeness/Find Love/Sadeness, Callas Went Away, Mea Culpa, The Voice & The Snake, Knocking on forbidden Doors, Back To The Rivers of Belief/Way To Eternity/Hallelujah/The River of Belief + Full-Length Videos: Sadeness, Mea Culpa, Principles of Lust, The River of Belief, EPK: Enigma II, Enigma 96/97

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #39469 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-01-13
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, Dolby, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, German
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 94 minutes

Amazon.com
A New Age favorite since its CD debut in 1990, Enigma's MCMXC a.D. just gets better on DVD. While the mellow techno chill-out suites of Romanian-born Michael Cretu are not likely to attract any new converts (i.e., those with a low tolerance for "aural wallpaper" consisting primarily of noodling synths with a slow-grind pulse rate), devoted fans are sure to appreciate the visual component added here. Featuring gorgeous models and brief peek-a-boo nudity to accompany Enigma's once-controversial combination of sacred music and sexual imagery, these dreamy videos would feel right at home on the Playboy Channel, but they're clean enough (really, they are!) for all-ages viewing. Unfortunately, the ensuing years have seen Enigma's musical stylings copied and co-opted by the upscale porn industry, so all of this comes off as rather tacky and dated, despite the purity and sincerity of Cretu's musical philosophy (which he partially defines in an interesting bonus interview). Still, there's some hypnotic energy here that's undeniable, and "Sadeness," "Principles of Lust," and "The Rivers of Belief" still stand out as rich, multilayered masterworks, and the imagery follows a sensual theme just vague enough to allow the liberty of personal interpretation. If you're seeking stress-relief by immersing yourself a soothing envelope of audiovisual comfort, this DVD's got just what the doctor ordered. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

An amazing long-form music video
Enigma has been in the forefront of electronic music since their stunning debut in 1990 with the album MCMXC a.D. What most of us here in the States didn't know is that they also released this video a year later. Now for the first time, Enigma's American audience can finally experience this masterpiece.

This DVD is basically the entire 41-minute album as you hear it on the CD with an array of visuals to accompany it. Lots of the footage you've probably seen in the official music videos for the album's four singles (Sadeness, Principles of Lust, Mea Culpa, Rivers of Belief). Some scenes may look a bit cliche nowadays, but putting yourself back in 1990, you can see Michael Cretu's vision. The scenes include landscapes, monks, knights in armor, and trippy illusions.

The DVD fortunately includes Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS. This makes songs like "Sadeness", "Callas Went Away" and "Mea Culpa" sound absolutely powerful and breathtaking. Also included is an interview with Michael Cretu from 1996, mostly dealing with the album Enigma 3- Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi.

All in all, this is an absolute must-have for ANY Enigma fan. It's a chance to hear a classic album as never before!

Love the music~ Hate the DVD
Borrrrring. The imagery chosen to represent this audio masterpiece is so uninspiring and insipid it's laughable. I had very high hopes that my eyes would be as happy as my ears, but was sorely disappointed. The images consist of loops (and loops and loops) of the same characters doing the same things. Not only that, but the visuals are purposely made to seem dreamlike, but just come off as fuzzy. There is absolutely no relationship that I could find between the out-of-focus imagery and the incredibly beautiful sounds. Stick with the cd and create your own mind-based imagery.

Turn off the lights, take a deep breath and relax ...
Being a fan of enigma for many years , I always wanted to have the video collection of MCMXC. This is one of the most beautiful dvd's I have seen. The scenery is impressive, with monasteries, castles, and many landscapes from europe and egypt. I definitely recommend this DVD, especially if you like enigma or simply want to sit down, turn up the music and let it transport you to another world.