Customer Reviews

Jacques Cousteau - River Explorations

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Cousteau Amazon series is monumental and worth five stars in itself.

The picture quality of these excursions is not perfect but I think it gives a feel for the time in which they were created. I can't remember seeing any better picture when I first saw these in the early eighties. Back then you were lucky to have more than a 19 inch color set. So if you're not spoiled by HD/enhanced everything, these are fine. I'm happy to have any of Cousteau's work available in this permanent form.

The refit of Calypso in preparation for the Amazon reminds of my days as a member of "Friends of Calypso" in the Cousteau Society. One benefit of that was to receive small piece of wood taken from planks removed from the hull of Calypso. I still have it.

What young man of those times did not take SCUBA training and not dream of signing on to crew the great ship, I know I did. So relive those wonderful days and have those dreams all over again.

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(This set comes from Amazon in three double-disc thin cases, which together use only .75 inch of shelf space. -- If you have the other Cousteau sets in thick cases, buy double-disc thin cases and transfer them. It takes some work to do, but when complete all three sets will fit in 2.25 inches.)

(From the package)
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Discs 1 & 2

THE DANUBE REDISCOVERED

I. The Curtain Rises
Jacques Cousteau explores the old (abbeys, castles), the new (dams, industry) and the timeless (a living ecosystem) on the river that carries the history of Europe.

II. Charlemagne's Dream
Centuries ago, Charlemagne dreamed of a canal linking the Rhine and the Danube. Now that canal exists, creating a passage from the North to the Black Seas.

III. The River Cries Out
A glassy staircase of 16 terraced lakes...the royal stag and the Carpathian bear: the Danube and its tributaries display these wonders and more.

IV. Rivalries Overflow
The Cousteau team encounters nuclear and industrial pollution, fished-out waters, rusted-out vessels and the horrors of war.

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Discs 3 & 4

COUSTEAU MISSISSIPPI

* The Mississippi - Reluctant Ally
Ice and wetlands. Jazz and agribusiness. Cousteau becomes a modern-day Huckleberry Finn to explore the Father of Waters.

* The Mississippi - Friendly Foe
Cousteau and crew retrace the path of pioneers along the Missouri, then voyage past modern locks and classic paddle-wheelers on the mighty Mississippi.

COUSTEAU AMAZON

* Calypso Countdown: Rigging for the Amazon
Ever wonder what happens behind the scenes of a Cousteau production? Find out as the Calypso is readied for an Amazon adventure.

* Journey to a Thousand Rivers
One thousand rivers converge into the Amazon, the world's largest river system. A remarkable journey through this still-mysterious kingdom begins.

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Discs 5 & 6

COUSTEAU AMAZON

* Shadows in the Wilderness - Indians of the Amazon
Threatened by the encroaching modern world, Amazon's self-reliant and diverse tribes struggle to preserve traditional ways of life.

* River of Gold
Gold fever strikes the Amazon Basin, turning lush acreage into wasteland and people into exploited, desperate laborers.

* Blueprints for Amazonia
Can Earth's largest liquid kingdom be saved and its peoples and riches protected? The Cousteau expedition contemplates the past and future of the Amazon.

* Legacy of a Lost World
Pierce the farthest reaches of the Amazon, our planets greatest treasure trove of biological diversity, now menaced by profiteering humans.

* Snowstorm in the Jungle
Jean-Michel Cousteau embarks on a special mission: investigate the Amazon's dangerous, deadly underworld built on a foundation of white gold - cocaine.

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As I write this review, one may purchase a brand new copy of this beautiful DVD from a 3rd party seller on Amazon for less than $5.00, including shipping. I find this to be an almost criminally low price as all of the other Jacques Cousteau DVD collections are priced much closer to the $40 range!

Full of the amazing and educational imagery you have come to expect from Jacques Cousteau, this set will not disappoint you and you family. Regardless of the "gossip" concerning Cousteau's relationships mentioned in another (unfavorable) review here on Amazon, I feel this set is a great investment. Anyone growing up watching Cousteau's adventures will surely appreciate this installment about his explorations for the Mississippi, Amazon, and Danube Rivers - just to mention some of the content on the fabulous 6 disk set!

A good product in good condition and in common with the other Cousteau DVDs, nicely packaged.

More comment on wider issues in this series than just water and animals, but I guess Cousteau was looking for another angle on things as David Attenborough has.

Most enjoyable!

Rod Serling's name is listed by Amazon as being connected with this set, so I bought it on the assumption that it contained at least one of the classic Serling-narrated programs of the '60s or early '70s. I could find no specific info online re this set's contents (not even in the Cousteau website's store!), so bought it sight unseen, so to speak.

Well, the set contains no classic ('60s & '70s) Cousteau programs, so Amazon's listing is just off. Here's what's contained:

Discs 1 & 2: "The Danube Rediscovered" (1992), a 4-part, 4-hour long exploration of the river's history and (then) present state. Narrated by Cousteau. Shot on cheap-looking videotape, featuring vulgar modern electronic soundtrack music, etc, this is a bloodletting.

Discs 3 & 4: "Cousteau Mississippi" (1985), another 4-part, 4-hour exploration of this river's history & (then) present state, with the familiar ecology-oriented commentary. Narrated by Alexander Scourby and written by Cousteau's classic writer, Theodore Strauss, it's an uncomfortable mixture of old & new styles (Strauss's sometimes august, poetic language accompanied by bad synthesizer music, etc). At least shot on film, this is not as terrible as "Danube", but in a way more heartbreaking because you're witnessing the break from the old aesthetic.

Discs 4 & 5: "Cousteau Amazon" (1983/84), a 5-part, 5-hour exploration of this river's...etc, etc. Joseph Campanella narrates the first 4 parts, Orson Welles (!) the 5th and final. Two of its 5 sections are written by Strauss, here considerably dumbed-down as befitted the early-'80s audience's sliding intelligence level (think of the other garbage on tv at that time), but still interesting in spots. Shot on film, but the bad synthesizer & drum machine sounds mix awkwardly with the orchestral elements of the soundtrack. Again, the process of leaving behind the past stylistic values makes for a difficult viewing/listening experience.

So the connection between this set's contents and the classic Cousteau programs of the '60s & '70s is tenuous at best. If fans of that period try hard, they may find, as I did, mild enjoyment in the '83 - '85 material, but the whole thing is lukewarm leaning toward ugly and sad; you're watching the death of something.

Check out the "Cousteau Odyssey" set, which although featuring only butchered prints edited for syndication, provides an infinitely more pleasurable vibe.

I purchased this collection because I was interested in rediscovering the TV series. Mississippi and the Amazon are the last demosnstration of the climax of Cousteu. Anyway, the producers could have managed to make the image a lot better without much work: adjusting sharpness, video, blacks, gamma and chroma the product would have been 400% better. Regarding the Danube episodes they are a shame. After Mr Cousteau fought with Jean Michel and the crew of all his life he remained alone. He simply managed to convince TBS to make home movies with his new kids. I've done better home movies than these chapters, not talking about the poor image and story quality.