Can't wait another month? Need to satisfy your Olympic fix right now? Every so often, as a public service, we'll take a look at a movie that will help you get in the spirit of the Games.
Tokyo Olympiad is, without a doubt, one of the greatest films ever made about the Games. Produced and directed by Kon Ichikawa, it's a documentary that precisely captures the feeling of being at the Olympics.
But this wasn't what the Japanese Olympic Committee, the primary sponsor of the film, wanted. The film was controversial because it did not focus on any human element of the 1964 Tokyo Games, or on Japan's triumphant rise out of the ashes of World War II, and it didn't proclaim to the world just how wonderful the Japanese Olympic team was. Ichiwaka simply pointed his cameras at the action, regardless of whom was competing, and provided just enough narration that audiences knew what was going on. The magic in this three-hour masterpiece is in its editing.
Perhaps the greatest scene is the extended meditation on the men's marathon, which captures the event in all its hideous glory. In this clip from the film, weary and groggy runners are shown stumbling and collapsing at a water station at around 20 miles -- a fascinating visual representation of what marathoners know and fear as The Wall.
These visions are juxtaposed with the seemingly effortless performance of Ethiopian distance master Abebe Bikila, who easily won his second consecutive Olympic marathon title in the world record time of 2:12:11. Check out the slow-motion sequences that showcase his impeccable and perfect stride as he breaks away from the field for good. This is, for all intents and purposes, runner porn.
It's three hours that will not only get you ready for Beijing, but will provide a you-are-there Olympic experience that will suffice if you're not headed to the Games (or, perhaps, if your visa was denied by the Chinese government). The deluxe Criterion Collection version is available for sale on DVD from Amazon (primarily in the new/used section), or if you like the red envelope, you can rent it from Netflix.
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Sportswriter 
