Synopsis
My life has been a strange journey. Recently I found myself divorced after a three year marriage. Needless to say I’m probably need a bit of soul searching. Perhaps I need to cleanse my spirit before setting back out into the world from which I came. Now I’ve never been a religiously deep person but I do take myself on as a spiritual one. So to see a surprise title in my queue with the words The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success would bring at least a little …bit of curiosity to my senses. In 1994, Deepak Chopra wrote a book with the above title and it granted him critical acclaim from people worldwide. Thirteen years later, this is brought to us in dvd form to enjoy. While some of the theories can be debated, a lot of its fundamental ideas make sense.
This documentary centers around the Seven Spiritual Laws of Success such as the Law of Karma and the Law of Detachment. It is narrated by Chopra himself with help from quite a few celebrities including Olivia Newton-John and Bill Duke. The documentary has little scenes that are played out in accordance to the laws. A kind of fantasy if you will. Some of it is a bit hokey but the message is good and it is one I can go along with. It doesn’t rely on God very much (God is only mentioned two or three times and in passing) but more on our spiritual place in society. The documentary does have that feeling of a sunday bible study group though (I started jotting notes down as it went over each Law like I was going to be quizzed later). However, when it reaches subjects such as learning how to detach yourself from the desires you want most or realizing the least effort is the path to the greatest happiness (hey, who can’t go along with that?), it does start to speak to you.
Video
This is presented in 1.77:1 anamorphic widescreen. It is nice to see that they took the time to provide the dvd in this format. There are many beautiful scenes of nature and also of what appears to be New York City. (it could be Los Angeles or any other city I suppose though, I’m not sure). A lot of it is obviously green screened though with Chopra or Newton-John standing in front of a scene while they are talking about their spiritual experiences. Very good overall though.
Audio
Audio is provided in 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound. Not that it is really needed in this documentary but it is appreciated. We do have some use of surrounds when they shift to nature or fantasy settings. But what sets this audio apart is when Olivia Newton-John sings, it truly is a sweet sound. She does some original music for this dvd and that could be considered a throw away thing but it is one of the big highlights of the disk. Subtitles are also provided, in English and Spanish. Personally, I did find myself turning on subs but that was due to the accents of the narrators not the fault of the well done and clear audio presentation.
Special Features
Automatic Trailers – Conversations with God & What the Bleep Do We Know (sometimes they really need to come up with more imaginative titles). The only other extra according to Amazon was a 16 page study guide which was unfortunately left out of my review package. (*Note to 20th Century Fox; please include all materials when we are reviewing these discs, it helps us to bring to the public a complete and through review.*)
Final Thoughts
I am currently in a quandary with my life. I have been given a situation from which I must rise above. I do need to find my center and return a stronger man and reach out to others in my quest to be a vital part of society once again. Watching this dvd isn’t going to magically solve that need for me. But this dvd might provide a message and a starting point. Sure it plays out like a sunday bible reading and some of the effects are super cheesy. Heck, you might not even agree with what Chopra is trying to teach us. But the disc is solid, it’s pretty to watch and has a great audio presentation with help from Olivia Newton-John. I only wish they would have provided a few extras along the way. At only 64 minutes, this disc goes by quickly. However, for those minutes we are treated to a presentation that can help us start on the path to spiritual success.
Special Features List
- Automatic Trailers (2)
- 16 page Study Guide
Screenshots
