The story of "Journey of Man" is larger than life. The canvas used to paint the tale is humongous -- an IMAX screen. Using 70mm film, this 38 minute Three- Dimensional adventure enlightens our senses with an imaginative allegory about the passage of life -- from birth to maturity. Set in various unique settings throughout the world, Cirque du Soleil has provided a marvelous example of their creativity.

Le Passage

Our adventure begins in the vast void of space; A cold place but a fresh canvas. And even though space is cold, we are not alone. Everything to create and sustain life is upon us... and then, an explosion permeates that vastness, sending a flash of brilliance rippling throughout the universe. Creation! The Birth of the Universe -- Yes! The stars, the planets, everything is created before our eyes... and man. From the vastness of the universe to the confines of a cavern, inhabited by primitive creatures. They are a tribe of prehistoric humans confined to their animalistic ways. But then, something special occurs -- a child robed in white (symbolizing an embryonic human) appears and the tribe begins to beat on their drums. More and more powerful beats come representing the first beats of a new heart. A new life.

The Child, pure and innocent, is the Universal Child -- seen in Saltimbanco. He is surrounded in a womb-like cave, which consequently is the only man-made set in the entire film. His companions are the Tribe - the Taïko drummers from Mystère, under the direction of Pierre Dubé. Together, they set the scene for the first stage in development: the breath of life. Next, an elegant display of aquatic synchronization dazzles us. Water, the universal element, provides nourishment for our child and sets the scene for his birth.

The second stage of life begins in a forest outside of Boulder Creek, California. Among the giant redwood trees fly the birds of this narration: the Bungees. It is also where our child explores his inner self and comes in contact with his instincts for the first time. These instincts, represented by two clowns - a male and female - are as complimentary to one another as they are not. Known only as Flounes, they provide consciousness to our child. The male is the confident risk-taker. He has an enormous cache of energy and is willing to try just about anything, no matter how dangerous it may be. The female, the intelligent and thoughtful one, is as cautious as she is considerate. She weighs all the consequences of a choice carefully before deciding to act. The two of them were previously seen in Nouvelle Expérience.

Wondrous creatures, too, inhabit the forest. From Mystère: The Palmiers (big orange creatures that look like giant Pumpkins), a Giant Stork and the double-face of the Asticots, a creature who slithers the lengths of the giant trees. But it is the Bungees that capture the child's attention. For the first time, fear, wonder and courage appear within him as the flamboyantly costumed birds appear from the heavens. They take hold of him and propel him to another plane... another stage of development: into adolescence!

It is during Adolescence that our protagonist, no longer a child, but not quite a man, comes upon the Cube Man (performed by Mikhail Matorin from Mystère). Hidden in the Valley of Fire state park in Nevada, the youth learns strength and stamina as the man wields his metallic cube from atop a rocky precipice. After learning this, he next finds himself in the confines of a garden. (San Mateo, California). Here he witnesses a spectacular act of love and grace. The male-female pair, looking like statues, perform their act upon a lone lily pad, in the center of a pond. It is here the man learns harmony, balance and the strength of union. The pair, Yves Décoste and Marie-Laurie Mesnage from Quidam.

But there's trouble here. Mephisto, a demon from the dark recesses of the mind tries to tempt our Everyman... He represents greed and everything dark in society. Thankfully, Everyman is not easily deterred and finds himself in an elegant hall where an amazing display of acrobatics is taking place. Filmed in Severance Hall in Cleveland, USA, the Banquine artists from Quidam wield their fanciful talents to remind our Everyman, who has matured, that there are more important things to life than to acquire wealth. And so, he recaptures his youthful joy and the Journey of Man begins again.

Our story ends at the Brandenburg Gate, in Berlin, Germany. However, this does not end the Journey of Man -- how it was created, and the pains that the producers, directors and performers had to go through to bring us this magnificent film.