Ichikawa's cameras follow the 1964 Summer Olympics from opening to closing ceremonies. Sometimes he focuses on spectators, as athletes pass in a blur; sometimes he isolates a competitor; other times, it's a closeup of muscles as a hammer is thrown or a barbell lifted; or, we watch a race from start to finish. We see come-from-behind wins in the women's 800 and the men's 10,000 meters. We follow an athlete from Chad from arrival to meals, training, competition, and loss. Throughout, the film celebrates the nobility of athletes pushing themselves to the limit, regardless of victory.
A GREAT documentary about the 1964 Olympics that took place in Tokyo. A 3-hour journey to give you an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at what happened over those 15 days in October of 1964. It truly made the viewer feel as if they were actually there and surprisingly, the quality of the film is terrific (in part due to Criterion, I'm sure). The film begins with the opening ceremony, then shows at least bits and pieces of every event and usually the winners and ends with the closing ceremony. An interesting look for those who feel that sports play a huge role in our world (almost as much as politics).
