This documentary by the National Film Board of Canada takes us behind the scenes into the lives of the athletes and allows us to see them close up during the competitions. It is this proximity that sets this film apart from the other Olympic documentaries I have viewed. The whole thing is shot in black and white giving it a gritty realism. It also lacks the usual homage paid to the comeraderie that binds Olympic athletes together.
My overall impression is that this is an very good documentary of the men and women competing in the games; however, the final editing down of the massive amount of film does raise some questions and observations. The National Film Board, which is based in Montreal, was the obvious choice for this documentary. It has won numerous international awards for its excellence. The NFB does not produce glossy Hollywood style productions aimed at pulling in huge profits. Its purpose is artistic. As a result, we can appreciate the film for its style and its ability to get inside the minds of the athletes, who are totally focused on delivering what they are trained to do; that is to deliver the best they can against the strongest possible competition.
Some of the anti-establishment bias is seen here. There is barely a mention of Queen Elizabeth's presence or of her daughter Princess Anne, who competed in the equestrian events. The film also seems risqué by the standards of the time with the behind the scenes massages. There is no flag waving and the Canadian team, although the host country, gets little attention.
We do see Canadian Greg Joy place second to the Polish athlete who won the running high jump. There was a lot of drama in this competition from the Canadian perspective because the favourite, American Dwight Stones, finished third. The event took place in a heavy rain and this affected Stones performance. The Canadian crowd was ecstatic but there was very little narrative on this particular event, which was the high point of the Games for Canada. This compares to the extensive coverage of Bruce Jenner (now known as Caitlyn Jenner) in the decathlon both on and off the fields. He won the gold medal and there was a lot of media attention focused on him. But it hardly seemed necessary to focus so much film footage on his wife, who was cheering wildly in the ground level stands.
The production of this film owed much to the political and social climate in Canada at the time. The separatist party was on the rise and in November of that year, 1976, would win the provincial election in the province of Quebec, where the NFB staff are located, in Montreal. I attended a number of the events at this Olympics and know these games occurred in a very wet and cloudy summer in Eastern Canada. This adds to the gritty realism mentioned earlier. There was a cloud overhanging these games as well, given the enormous cost overruns, labour disputes and financial corruption. The stadium roof was not completed on time and an enormous crane stood above the immense stadium. The film did manage to omit embarrassing shots of the crane, a testimonial to the mismanagement. However, there was an underlying anger among many Canadians over the games.
This film gives a very poignant account of the games that may one day be subject to some interesting historical and political analysis. It is definitely worth watching as a series of vignettes seen by the film-makers. However, it is also offers some insight into the social And political landscape in 1976.
