Sacred Journeys with Bruce Feiler Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		4.0

Sacred Journeys with Bruce Feiler Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf January 10, 2015

In a world that’s seemingly gone mad, it’s comforting to know that a few corners of the globe are strictly devoted to the restoration of the spirit. The documentary program “Sacred Journeys with Bruce Feiler” sets out to find these specialized pilgrimages, traveling far on a quest to share how certain cultures and countries carry out extensive tests of self, highlighting organizational efforts, physical endurance, and religious inspiration. The host is Feiler, journalist and author, and a man consumed with the concept of rejuvenation, leading the charge for six episodes of investigation into mysteries of the mind and soul, filling up his passport in a major way.

“Sacred Journeys” is a long adventure, following Feiler as he visits such places as an island off the coast of Japan and the heart of Islam in Saudi Arabia. While special areas in America are ignored (what, no Walt Disney World?), the program does a fine job connecting these disparate locations, with soulful uplift the common mission that unites these celebrations. Feiler doesn’t do a lot of the legwork, preferring to take the role of host for the episodes, only occasionally sampling the festivities and challenges. Instead, “Sacred Journeys” often follows Americans who are experiencing these events for the very first time, capturing their surprise, skepticism, and fatigue as they take on sizable tests of patience, laboring toward Godly might. It’s a sensitive series, with “Lourdes” perhaps the most emotional selection of the batch, spotlighting American soldiers wounded in combat coming to grips with their injuries and psychological trauma at a holy place of questionable authenticity. While the potential is there for Feiler to discredit the site, and he certainly teases that direction, focus is instead returned to the shattered men and their need for self-exploration, using help from exaggerated spirituality to find themselves. The show can be very emotional.

“Sacred Journeys” is only as good as its subjects, with “Shikoku” the finest episode, surveying a 750-mile-long pilgrimage through Japan, celebrating its considerable distance and the goodwill of its travelers, with this Buddhist-inspired trek bringing out a sense of community and kindness (and blistered feet). The positivity is a pleasure to see, matching the impressiveness of such a physical challenge. Least effective is “Osun-Osogbo,” which is all over the map in terms of Nigerian religious identity and cultural salesmanship. It even seems to flummox Feiler, who never provides a firm narrative grip on the episode.

Episodes:

Disc 1

“Lourdes” (54:46)

In southwestern France, the Lourdes Grotto has become a major player in pilgrimage culture, inviting visitors from around the globe to sample and bathe in waters visited by the ghost of the Virgin Mary. Taking advantage of its healing potential, soulful and physical, a group of U.S. soldiers wounded in the Middle East arrive to confront their pain, trying to gain some spiritual insight to their unrelenting trauma. Questions of authenticity and faith also arise, pitting science against faith as millions visit every year to feel a sense of connection to Catholicism and reclaim a sliver of hope.

“Shikoku” (54:46)

On the Japanese island Shikoku, the Kobo-Daishi is a 750-mile-long pilgrimage trail that celebrates the gift of Japanese Buddhism with travelers. An arduous journey through mountainous terrain, the pilgrimage is attempted by thousands every year, working with exhausted bodies and pure hearts to attain a greater understanding of spirituality and support from strangers while basking in the power of nature. Following a few Americans around the path, the episode displays an understanding of survival skills and Japanese generosity while visiting various temples that line the trail.

“Jerusalem” (54:46)

In Israel, the “Jesus Trail” encourages visitors to experience a mix of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism as they follow the history of Christ and visit areas where he taught. Feiler travels to Jerusalem during Sukkot to explore the construction of sukkahs, visits the Western Wall to understand the spirituality of the location and its lasting impression on those who come seeking fulfillment, and experiences the Al-Aqsa Mosque, an Islamic holy place considered one of the most sacred areas to those who partake in the faith. There’s also a discussion of the Old City, a place of contention where various religions rub uncomfortably against one another.

Disc 2

“The Hajj” (54:26)

The Hajj is the pilgrimage that walks in Muhammad’s path, offering visitors an opportunity to inch closer to their religion, with entrance into Mecca and the Al-Masjid Al-Haram mosque to visit the Ka’aba considered the ultimate goal of the journey. Following a group of Americans embarking on their first pilgrimage, the episode explores the recognition of outsiders that such a religious experience requires patience, as frustrations with crowds and the intensity of the site threaten the purity of the event, while female travelers experience a different kind of attention, with prayer hours limited for women.

“Kumbh Mela” (54:46)

14 million people come to the Indian city of Allahabad to experience the Kumbh Mela, a pilgrimage that features ritual group bathing in the Ganges, which also home to the ashes of the dead, symbolizing circularity to the human experience. A band of American pilgrims arrives for their first Kumbh Mela, experiencing celebrations and the unity of Indian people as they work out their commitment to religion and their place in the mass of people.

“Osun-Osogbo” (54:46)

Occurring every August, the Osun-Osogbo Festival welcomes pilgrims to interact with the religion of Yoruba, with native Nigerians conducting initiations for outsiders eager to embrace local traditions. Tracing the slave trade, the show inspects the similarities between Christianity and Yoruba, the religion’s position in the country, and its rituals as viewed through the eyes of those who are new to the faith, including the startling reality of animal sacrifice.

Sacred Journeys with Bruce Feiler Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation remains in step with other HD-shot PBS programs using commercial-grade equipment, offering viewers a crisp but video-like look at this global journey. Sharpness is plentiful, with encouraging detail on the facial responses of interviewees and the vastness of the locations, revealing adequate textures and distances. There are a few low-res passages, with only cell phone video allowed in Al-Masjid Al-Haram, but these are brief sequences. Colors are stable and true, seizing the potential of greenery and ceremonial outfits, delivering fine hues, while blacks retain adequate delineation. Skintones run a little ruddy. Banding is periodically detected.

Sacred Journeys with Bruce Feiler Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 LPCM mix is a perfectly functional listening event that cares for the program's documentary intent. Feiler's narration sounds crisp and clear, keeping his softer voice pronounced, while interview audio is equally sharp, managing accents to satisfaction. Scoring is supportive but never aggressive, filling in mood when required. Atmospherics aren't quite as robust as expected, but still capture the feeling of every location, best without outdoor excursions.

Sacred Journeys with Bruce Feiler Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There is no supplementary material on these discs.

Sacred Journeys with Bruce Feiler Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The goal of "Sacred Journeys" is to provide an understanding of different cultures and personal experiences, striving to isolate intimacy between the subjects and their spiritual yearning as they embark on periodically strange but longstanding traditions. At times, the series is fascinating, permitting access to private challenges and deep thoughts. It's at its best when revealing the power of pilgrimages and how these diverse celebrations of faith manage to take hold of their participants, refreshing a hunger for life.