London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony



Even though it's been three days, I'm still blown away by the Olympic Opening Ceremony.   The director, Danny Boyle, left no doubt as to his talent and artistic genius.   I've seen some of his films and I was able to see a broadcast of the play, Frankenstein, he directed in 2011.   The opening ceremony had his artistic stamp all over it.   The "set" was incredible, with a lush agrarian landscape that changed before our eyes to industrial England.   As the set changed, so did the characters and performances, reflecting the incredible history of England during those years since the Industrial Revolution.


Boyle has an incredible ability to see meaning and beauty in that which might be dismissed as ugly or messy by others.   Then, he portrays it with his unique sensibility which manages to combine urban and industrial with beautiful.   Surely, his working-class upbringing in Manchester influenced him.   He was also raised Roman Catholic and considered the priesthood as a young man.   Regardless of where he is in his faith life/journey at this point, a Catholic eye for rite, sign, and symbol is unmistakably part of his genius as an artist in today's world of theatre and cinema.


My favorite moments were the lovely children's choirs from the Home Isles, Kenneth Branagh reciting Shakespeare, the forging of the Olympic rings from a molten river than imitated the path of the Thames, the internet homage to British pop music, and the unique caldron lighting with copper petals from each country.   I would agree with Boyle when he was asked to name his favorite moment that he was very moved by the construction workers who built the stadium as they formed an honor guard for the last leg of the torch's journey into the stadium.   Oh, and I couldn't help but like the army of Mary Poppinses (Danny Boyle is the man who made the world ask, "What is the plural form of Mary Poppins?) who vanquished the nightmares from the children's sleep.    And of course, the Queen with James Bond and Mr. Bean: classic, and dare I say, epic?!

 It was a proud moment for England.   I wondered if it was a cathartic moment for the nation.   Though our history runs parallel to theirs, the everyday lives of individuals in England was much different than those of Americans, especially during and after WWI and WWII.   We lost lives during the Great War, but the troops who returned came back home to a physical home basically unchanged and familiar.   After both wars, there was optimism and even prosperity.

England, as in the rest of Europe, saw the physical scars of war on their land, especially during the Second World War.   The scars mirrored the emotional, spiritual, and physical ones of their returning troops.   Their world was turned upon its head and nothing would ever--could never--be the same as before.     It's not surprising that we see a huge change in art, literature and politics in Europe after the First World War.   After WWII, our country expanded the suburbs, bought new cars and appliances, while England was left economically depressed and physically scarred as she faced re-building, with her energy so depleted from the long fight that was the war.   As Americans, we can sometimes look at things narrowly, without taking into account the difference of experience that shaped Europe in the twentieth century, compared with our own experience.

When I was in England for the second time, the trip was very much a pilgrimage for me.   In addition to churches and cathedrals, my favorite place to visit was the WWI exhibit in the Tate Modern.   It was sacrosanct for me as I saw before me the artistic portrayals which attempted to capture the loss, horror, turmoil, faith, despair, and hope of those who were a part of the Great War.    I could only stand and ponder, then pray, making a feeble attempt to understand and empathize.

I had similar feelings as I watched Danny Boyle's Olympic production.   It was heart and soul, pastoral and calm, industrial and scarred.   It was a brave, tough people always keeping on and moving ahead, as best they can, still with triumphs and spirit.   It truly brought me to tears as I felt that I was privileged to witness it before me on screen.



Even for those who didn't enjoy the artistry, though, there was something to enjoy with the parade of nations and the grande finale.   I thought of the movie Amadeus.    Boyle remedied what Salieri saw as Mozart's neglect.   Along with sign and symbol, he gave the audience a big bang at the end so they knew when to clap.





Comments

Post a Comment

Your comments are welcome!

Popular posts from this blog

First & From Without

Image
"Is she in there?" "I think so.  Should we knock?" This was part of the conversation from my fellow teachers outside my classroom door the morning I returned to work, two months after the birth of my first child.    My locked classroom door.   I managed to get into the building with no contact with others, cover my window on my door, and lock myself in for a good cry.    I did not take separation from my baby very well.   I called my husband and told him I just couldn't stay.   He called the personnel office and asked about my leave options.   Then, he called Mama.    "I know it's hard, Joey, but you have to let her face this; she just has to do it." Later, when I talked to Mama, she told me how she felt when she took me to my first day of school.   She said leaving me at that poor, old south Louisiana school building was one of the hardest things she ever did.   She said she cried the whole way home.    Mama always had t
Read more

Master Bedroom Challenge: {pretty, happy, funny, real}

Image
This week, Leila at Like Mother, Like Daughter , announced a Master Bedroom Challenge: Make Your Bedroom Beautiful and Useful .   It was a perfectly timed challenge for me.   As part of the Reasonably Clean House series at the blog, Leila recommends beginning the process in your master bedroom.   Her reasoning is right on target, as I've learned after nearly sixteen years of keeping --or trying to keep--our house.   Our bedroom is last on our list to work on in this house.   Since we moved in over a year ago, we've worked on all the other rooms .   Now, it's time to start making the master bedroom come together.   It's a large wonderful space.   My mama always said the problem with a bigger house/space is it is easier to clutter it and you aren't as wise with organization.   She was right.   Lot of corners and spaces to "store" things in this room until I get to them.   Plus, the kids love coming in to play, as it's the only room that still has wa
Read more

An Anniversary

Image
September 16, 2004 began as a typical morning.   Emmeline and I went for a walk and then she settled down for her morning nap while I worked on laundry.   I decided to call Mama; we usually talked to each other every day.   Since Emmeline was born nine months earlier, our conversations had grown to several times a day, as I called her to share Emmeline's latest "firsts."  She had called a little more than normal to check on me.   A month earlier I had my first severe reflux incident.   I was eating lunch when I experienced the normal discomfort, but this time, it got worse and it was as if my windpipe was closed and I couldn't breathe.   I felt like I was choking, but I could talk, so I knew that I wasn't.   I was alone with Emmeline, so I quickly snatched her out of the high chair and put her in her crib.   I worried about what I would do if this did not pass quickly and I stopped breathing.   I actually called 911, and told them I knew I wasn't choking, b
Read more