But in another — especially considering the controversy behind the Games and the toll they are taking on Japan and the world — this lackluster ceremony is a huge letdown. What's the point of all the risk, all the testing and quarantining and masks, if this is the best emotion and spectacle we can muster?
Facebook Twitter Email. Review: The Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony was more of a whimper than a bang. Show Caption. Hide Caption. What you missed from Olympics opening ceremony and what to watch on Saturday. The opening ceremony officially kicked off the Tokyo Games, but competition is already underway. Saturday features some must-watch events. It suggested at times a mix of Robert Wilson, Cirque du Soleil and a culture-appropriating Madonna video. When the camera moved in close, it was clear that all involved were in character, as in a crowd scene in a Broadway musical.
The choreography was lovely, and nothing was overdone. Not surprisingly, five big interlaced Olympic rings were produced at the end.
The relative spareness of the staging seemed appropriate, not only for practical social distancing but in the way it paradoxically made humans seem somehow bigger by putting space around them; the Olympics are all about the amazing feats those flyspecks are capable of.
Although it was a television event, combining filmed segments, animations and a few things that were meant to be seen from an eye in the sky, it was not as designed for the camera as these things sometimes are — odd, of course, since relatively few people were there to see it in person.
Why press-averse Naomi Osaka agreed to let Netflix make a docuseries about her life. The athletes in the Parade of Nations, ostensibly the heart of the opening ceremony, were masked, which was good to see. Tongan flag bearer Pita Taufatofua taekwondo is his Summer Olympics sport, cross-country skiing his Winter once again paraded shirtless, body oiled like the piece of fine machinery it is.
The team from Bermuda wore Bermuda shorts. The parade does go on a very long time, unavoidably, what with all the countries involved. On the stream, NBC split the screen to get the commercials in. Eritrea gets its moment as deservedly as does the United States; those who are about to lose are saluted too. The main points of interest in this leg of the trip are the expression of national style through costume and the eternal question of whether what the U. The reality, for now, is that the delta variant of the virus is still rising, straining the Japanese medical system in places, and raising fears of an avalanche of cases.
For a night, at least, the glamor and message of hope of the opening ceremonies may distract many global viewers from the surrounding anguish and anger. Sections U. Science Technology Business U. Tokyo Olympics begin with muted ceremony and empty stadium. Tokyo Olympic coverage. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news.
The Associated Press. Though seemingly every Olympics sees public discontent, the Tokyo Games have been ridden by an impressive number of negative headlines. Earlier this year, the head of the Tokyo organizing committee resigned following outrage over his comments that women talk too much. This week, the opening ceremony director, Kentaro Kobayashi, was fired after footage emerged of him mocking the Holocaust in a comedy sketch.
The Games are so toxic that major sponsors are backing away. Despite the controversy, organizers hope that the focus will shift to sports once the competition begins. According to Gracenote, a data analytics company, the United States is projected to lead all countries with 96 medals, including 40 gold medals.
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