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Tokyo Olympiad
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9786304116562
Format: Box set, Color, Letterboxed, Widescreen, NTSC
ISBN: 630411656X
Label: Homevision
Languages: English (Subtitled), Japanese (Original Language), Analog
Manufacturer: Homevision
Number Of Items: 2
Publisher: Homevision
Release Date: June 13, 2000
Running Time: 170 minutes
Studio: Homevision
Theatrical Release Date: 1965
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Editorial Review:
The 1964 Olympics in Tokyo were a milestone as much for the intense athletic competition as the joyous commemoration of Japan's recovery following its defeat in World War II. Director Kon Ichikawa (The Burmese Harp, Fires on the Plain) created an epic film of the event, a documentary that covered the entire athletic competition while also capturing the surrounding atmosphere. Early in the film is a stunning aerial shot of Hiroshima, which first shows the devastated area, where destruction from the atom bomb has been preserved, before focusing on a beautiful park where an Olympic ceremony was being held.
The scenes of athletic competition, some of which were shot by cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa (Rashomon), work beautifully on two levels. The camera frames the extreme effort expended by such athletes as the great American runner Bob Hayes, and thus the film functions as a credible sports documentary, yet the camera also goes in for close-ups, lingering on the athlete's muscled forms to provide images that would look perfectly at home on the wall of a photography gallery. The narration in Japanese is accompanied with English subtitles, and this edition retains the widescreen look of the original theatrical release (in a letterboxed format) as well as the complete 170-minute running time. --Robert J. McNamara
In this classic documentary, one of the world's finest directors captures the colorful pageantry and emotional intensity of the 1964 Olympics. Kon Ichikawa's Tokyo Olympiad is both a celebration of Japan's postwar recovery and an artistic statement about athletic competition. To produce this epic work, Ichikawa (The Burmese Harp, Fires on the Plain) brings together an impressive team, including his wife and collaborator Natto Wada, renowned cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa (Rashomon), and 164 ubiquitous cameramen. Using his talents as a novelist, Ichikawa searches out the human side of the Olympics in such dramatic moments as Vera Caslavska's virtual sweep of the gymnastics medals and Billy Mills' astonishing, come-from-behind victory in the 10,000-meter race.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating: - Amazing film
I was not really sure what to expect, but I have to say that now having watched this DVD, I think Tokyo Olympiad has muscled its way up into my list of all time favorite documentaries. The artful approach to recording the events of the 1964 Toyko Olympics is masterful.
My own favorite moment: the slow-mo 800 meter women's. Ichikawa had two cameras on the scene, and it is the mesmerizing second view of the legs of the runners that gripped me. The fluidity of motion, the definition ... Read More
Rating: - Had to give it a 5-star rating: my grandpa is featured there...
This documentary has a special value to my family. Most of us live in Brazil (I'm a second generation Japanese). During the 1964 Games, my grandfather went to Japan to visit the country where he was born and raised. He was at the opening ceremony and appeared on the film right after the then Emperor Hiroito and Prince Akihito. He's the gentleman who appears standing to attention during the Japanese anthem, right at the beginning of the film (12'34"). He's wearing a brownish tie.
I'm so ... Read More
Rating: - Incredible
Probably the best sports movie ever made. Beautiful cinematography and direction. Ideal gift for any athlete or fan.
Rating: - Tokyo Olympiad
This film is indeed artistic, done differently from current sports films. The one most like it in tone and approach that I have seen is Riefenstahl's Olympia, but this film stays closer to the sport than the old German film. The main reason I HAD to buy this was to see Bob Hayes' anchor leg of the 4x100 meter relay, the fastest any person has ever been recorded as running. Because he was in the outside lane, and not so many cameras were employed, seeing the course of his sprint was not optimal, but ... Read More
Rating: - Outstanding Art and Sports Film
This is an incredible movie in its entire 3 hour glory. I watched it 3 times the first week I had it, including the audio commentary.
It is NOT a simple documentary. It leaves out a lot of events, and does not tell you who won what in many cases, but it gives you more emotional insight into the Olympic Games and sports competition than any all-inclusive documetary can possibly do. This isn't just about the Olympics, but about all sports and all athletes.
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