It is as welcome -- even if mainly to track and movie buffs -- as the finish line is to a marathon runner.
Overview
This impressionistic portrait of the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics pays as much attention to the crowds and workers as it does to the actual competitive events. Highlights include an epic pole-vaulting match between West Germany and America, and the final marathon race through Tokyo's streets. Two athletes are highlighted: Ethiopian marathon runner Abebe Bikila, who receives his second gold medal, and runner Ahamed Isa from Chad, representing a country younger than he is.
Director and cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
Though it's visually choppy, with some disruptive zooms, the 'Scope format matches the subject's scale, and Ichikawa's emphasis on shared human experience is compelling.
An epic study of athletes struggling, against their own bodies and each other, to excel. But it reaches even further, as a stirring portrait of fleeting human hopes.
By plunging us into the action, Ichikawa creates a unique intimacy between athlete and audience. Even after countless hours of watching televised sports, the effect is revelatory.
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