Tokyo Olympiad (The Criterion Collection)

When I was first introduced to the Japanese cinema way back in the 1960s it was mainly the works of Ichikawa and Kurosawa. Of the 4 Ichikawa films that were screened Tokyo Olympiad was the most praised. It was said at the time that old ladies with little interest in sport enthused over the film. It was the one film I missed and it has been on my "must see" list for over 50 years. The reward for waiting is a remastered version released in 2020 by the Criterion Collection.The film comes on 2 DVDs, but a word of caution, they are region 1 (USA and Canada).Disk 1 contains the film and a short introduction by Peter Cowie. You should view the introduction before watching the film as it has many points to watch for. Tokyo Olympiad is not a traditional documentary and there is a debate if it should be better classified as Art Cinema. It was the first Olympic documentary filmed in widescren making use of the latest telephoto lens technology and an army of cameramen. There is extensive use of ultra close up shots of the athletes, revolutionary at the time, and some use of slow motion and black and white footage. It is a film of cinematic brilliance although it was not well received in Japan perhaps because it was not patriotic enough. Outside Japan it has become one of the great classics of the cinema.Disk 2 contains the extras and the content is a treasure trove for the serious film buff. Much of the disk as taken up with unused footage and ironically the short section on wrestling was probably the patriotic film the Japanese would have preferred. Also on the disk are three interviews with Ichikawa and interviews with three people who knew him, a film editor, a cameraman and his son. There is also a short interview with one of the restorers which details the many problems that film restorers have to contend with.In short a film for both sports and cinema enthusiasts and for me a satisfying end to a 50 year wait.

As a great admirer of the Ethiopian Marathon Runner Abebe Bikila, I bought this because of its footage of the great man winning his second Olympic Gold. However I was gripped by the whole film. The images captured are simply beautiful, amazing for its time. Hundreds of cameras were used to gain images not just of the events, but all the other activity surrounding the Games, opening ceremony, through to the finale with a solitary individual with a broom sweeping up. Stands as a wonderful record of the 1964 Games, and stands in stark contrast to the modern extravaganza the Games have become. Stunning.

A magnificent document which captures the true splendour of what many regard as the last true Olympic Games before boycotts and overt commercialism took over. Superb images captured by Ichikawa and his crew.