Olympics Opening Ceremony - Verdict

[Beach Hut]

Amazing is a total understatement - awesome more like, bloody superb

 

[Butch Willykins]

I'm usually a hugely cynical, miserable bastard about most things, but I thought it was fantastic. Absolutely loved it and feeling very proud to be British tonight.

 

[T soprano]

It's great! We are GREAT Britain!!!!! Love it!!

Love it as well love you as well

 

[T.G]

If they had thrown the real queen out of the helicopter that would have livened it up to the tune of god save the queen by the pistols. Loved the fact they used the word 'cum' (Frankie) in the ceremony. Bored through most of it but loved the cauldron. Aesthetically too busy and confusing.

 

[CP 0 3 BHA]

Voted Great = would have been happy with Amazing until Macca came on and showed his age rather than his class.

 

[16bha]

Voted Great = would have been happy with Amazing until Macca came on and showed his age rather than his class.

This

 

[Deleted member 18477]

Love it as well love you as well

Sorry mate I'm in love with David Beckham.

 

[Southwick_Seagull]

Its the opening ceremony for a sporting event and it showed almost f*** all sport

That's because the idea is that it's a welcome to the host city, a chance to show the history and culture of the country and basically have a big party. You've got 2 weeks of sport now to enjoy. They're always like this.

 

[bn1&bn3 Albion]

That's because the idea is that it's a welcome to the host city, a chance to show the history and culture of the country and basically have a big party. You've got 2 weeks of sport now to enjoy. They're always like this.

Unless the other countries have commentary I can see almost the whole story going over everyones head..

 

[T soprano]

Sorry mate I'm in love with David Beckham.

You NSC are all the same your standards are all too high Essien , Owen & Santa cruz f*** the lot of ya

 

[Southwick_Seagull]

Unless the other countries have commentary I can see almost the whole story going over everyones head..

I'm sure it probably did and I quite admire Danny Boyle for that. He could have made it very formal, easily accessible for everyone and it probably would have been very bland. It was quirky, didn't take itself too seriously (with Mr.Bean and the Queen with Bond) and very, very British. Great tribute to the NHS and GOSH as well, other countries might not have fully understood the significance of all of it but they got the big fireworks and Beatles sing-a-long at the end so everyone goes home happy.

 

[Butch Willykins]

Unless the other countries have commentary I can see almost the whole story going over everyones head..

Which no doubt it did. Can you remember what the f*** the Beijing opening ceremony was all about? Me neither.

I really "got it" tonight. I thought it was very clever and executed fantastically.

 

[bn1&bn3 Albion]

Which no doubt it did. Can you remember what the f*** the Beijing opening ceremony was all about? Me neither.

I really "got it" tonight. I thought it was very clever and executed fantastically.

The Beijing opening ceremony was visually amazing, it was done so it didn't matter where you were from it would look good. This only people who already know British history will understand it.

 

[Comedy Steve]

I thought it was brilliant. There are very few things that make me proud to be British without all the nasty xenophobic undertones that go with it. Beautiful touches throughout, and a brilliant backstory that everyone could feel a part of. Fabulous.

 

[pottert]

Until tonight I had a bad feeling about London 2012

The wettest drought in living memory
stating in the football programme that joe Allen was english
Nearly causing WW3 by mixing up the flags of north & south korea

But then tonight

Showing the world the best of british
To have the bollocks to add humour to the biggest showpiece this country has ever seen
makes me proud to be British.

 

[Czechmate]

Not sure about the Rap singer , could not hear , not my cup of tea . But generally great , i was in a bar in Czech Republic looking at it , the best response was Mr Bean and 007 with the Queen , they loved her . Thought the NHS thing was ok for it's time but you probably had more beds in the Olympic stadium than the whole of Sussex and nurses , so a bit f***ing over the top for my liking , it is now nothing to be proud of.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Unless the other countries have commentary I can see almost the whole story going over everyones head..

La Repubblica's verdict:-

Il più grande show del mondo - Indubbiamente retorica, stracarica dei significati olimpici, megalomane come tutte le altre in passato, forse anche un po' stucchevole ma con colpi di scena affascinanti, e sicuramente costosa da far venire i brividi (38 milioni di euro la cifra ufficiale, molto meno di quella di Pechino, dicono...), la Cerimonia d'Apertura, con la regia del geniale Danny Boyle, regista di Trainspotting, è cominciata col passaggio dei reattori delle Red Arrows della Raf e col paesaggio bucolico dell'antica campagna inglese (utilizzati addirittura 7346 metri quadri di vero prato) con tanto di pecore, cavalli, oche e caprette per poi catapultarti con un conto alla rovescia scoccato alle 9 in punto e in un rintocco della Campana Olimpica con tanto di corda tirata dal vincitore del Tour de France Bradley Wiggins, impegnato tra l'altro nella gara su strada poche ore dopo, in un viaggio attraverso il classico mondo inglese: a cominciare da Shakespeare, ovviamente, ma per proseguire anche in maniera molto random con video di canottaggio, rugby, tecnologia, la Mini Morris, musica dei Beatles e dei Rolling Stones, Winston Churchill, Mary Poppins, James Bond ed Harry Potter. E anche un omaggio a Sir Tim Berners Lee, ora professore al Mit di Boston, che nel 1989 inventò il World Wide Web: internet.

La campagna si è trasformata mirabilmente nell'industria ottocentesca con sette grandi ciminiere spuntate dal sottosuolo. In maniera assolutamente geniale sui maxi schermi è apparso un mini-film prodotto dalla BBC con l'ultimo 007, Daniel Craig, che entra nello studio della vera Regina Elisabetta, trasformata in singolarissima Bond Girl, per scortarla fuori da Buckingham Palace e salire in elicottero. Da cui poi una controfigura, ovviamente, si getta col paracadute insieme a 007. Come se i due insomma dovessero atterrare in mezzo allo stadio. L'effetto è stato strabiliante. Immediatamente dopo alle 21.30 la Regina Elisabetta, accanto al presidente del Cio Rogge e al principe Filippo, è entrata nel Palco Reale con lo stesso soprabito e cappellino rosa con cui aveva interpretato il suo stesso ruolo accanto a James Bond. L'Union Jack è stata innalzata sui pennoni e un coro di bambini ha intonato God Save The Queen. Molto, molto british. Sicuramente il clou dello show.

Un omaggio alle tante donne infermiere, entrate nello stadio con i letti d'ospedale, che si sacrificarono durante la Seconda Guerra Mondiale per soccorrere i soldati. JK Rowling, la mamma del magco Harry Potter, ha letto Peter Pan dando il via alla parte più scatenata e disinvolta dello show. Non solo l'Inghilterra classica dunque, ma anche la nuova, la più geniale. La musica di Momenti di Gloria (Vangelis) è stata contaminata da Mister Bean (Rowan Atkinson) pianista imbranato mischiato nell'orchestra e da un video con lui che fa lo sgambetto agli altri che gli corrono accanto. Musica, tantissima musica, non solo Beatles e Rolling Stones, ma anche di Mike Oldfield, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, The Queen, Sex Pistols, Eurythmics, Bee Gees, come un marchio, come un gene del dna di una nazione, in ogni caso la colonna sonora di una vita dagli anni 60 a oggi. Il tanto atteso David Beckham è apparso in un video portando la torcia olimpica in una barca sul Tamigi.

Oltre settemila giovani, tra comparse e assitenti, sono stati necessari per allestire il gigantesco spettacolo. Lo stadio bombardato da migliaia e migliaia di luci. Uno show, dicono gli stessi organizzatori, visto in tv da 4 miliardi di persone. Troppi, la BBC dava più prudentemente un miliardo.

La sfilata degli atleti - Chiuso lo show dopo circa un'ora e mezza, la Grecia ha aperto tradizionalmente la sfilata degli atleti. Le brasiliane, dietro il famosissimo cavaliere Rodrigo Pessoa Jr, hanno reso omaggio all'Inghilterra con una vertiginosa minigonna. La Repubblica Ceca ha sfilato, molto ironicamente, con ombrellini e galosce in gomma. La Germania sembrava uscita da una nursery con gli uomini in azzurrino e le donne in rosa. Le Bermuda in bermuda, ovviamente. Il gruppo degli Independent Olympic Athletes (tre antillani e un sudanese rimasti praticamente senza un comitato olimpico di riferimento) hanno ballato felici sulla pista: atleti senza una bandiera ma fratelli non abbandonati alla sorte. L'Italia si è presentata alla sua maniera allegra dietro una raggiante Valentina Vezzali. Imponente Paul Gasol portabandiera della Spagna. La BBC ha riportato le parole commosse del portabandiera del Ruanda, il ciclista Adrien Niyonshuti: "Il mio obbiettivo è far dire che il Rwanda è una buona terra per i ciclisti e non per un genocidio". La bellissima russa Sharapova ha catturato gli occhi di tutto il mondo. Oscar Pistorius, con le sue gambe bioniche, si è mischiato nella delegazione sudafricana. Il Nepal, paese dell'Himalaya, si è presentato con un nuotatore Prassiddha Jung Shah. Cina e Usa con i loro squadroni hanno riempito mezzo campo. Usain Bolt ha sventolato imperialmente la bandiera della Jamaica, facendo venire giù lo stadio dagli applausi. La Gran Bretagna vestita con divise abbastanza ordinarie in verità, disegnate da Stella McCartney figlia di Paul, e intruppata dietro il formidabile Chris Hoy, pistard con quattro ori olimpici, ha chiuso sulle note a tutto volume di David Bowie: "Heroes" .

L'apertura dei Giochi - Il grande Sebastian Coe, già due volte olimpico nei 1500, e presidente del comitato organizzatore, ha pilotato la cerimonia verso la parte più sacra della XXX Olimpiade. E con parole importanti, anche commosse: "Benvenuti a Londra, ho dedicato tutta la mia vita allo sport. Se vuoi partecipare allo sport devi amare lo sport, Non sono mai stato così orgoglioso di essere britannico come in questo momento. Questo è il nostro momento" ha detto. "I Giochi stanotte sono tornati a casa" ha proseguito il presidente del Cio Jacques Rogge, sottolineando come Londra sia l'unica città al Mondo che ha avuto la possibilità e l'onore di ospitarli per ben tre volte. "Voi ispirerete una generazione " ha detto rivolgendosi alle migliaia di atleti che riempivano il centro del campo.

Solenni le brevi parole della Regina Elisabetta: "Dichiaro aperti i Giochi di Londra, celebriamo la trentesima edizione dell'era moderna". E' entrata la bandiera olimpica portata da Haile Gebrselassie, l'ambasciatrice Sally Becker, il segretario dell'Onu Ban Ki Moon, il compositore Daniel Baremboin. Mentre sullo sfondo con il suo vestito bianco e gli occhiali scuri è apparso Muhammad Ali. Minato dalla malattia ma sempre capace di emozionare i cuori con la sua sola presenza.

L'atleta inglese di taekwondo Sarah Stevenson ha letto il giuramento olimpico. David Beckham ha portato la torcia olimpica su un motoscafo sul corso d'acqua che lambisce lo stadio, consegnandola al grande Steve Redgrave, scortato da una guardia d'onore di cinquecento lavoratori che hanno partecipato alla costruzione dello stadio. Non c'è stato un ultimo tedoforo classico, ma la torcia è stata consegnata a sette giovani che rappresentano il futuro e che hanno acceso il braciere olimpico formato da 204 petali, tanti quanti le nazioni partecipanti, proprio al centro dello stadio olimpico, sulle note dei Pink Floyd.

Un Paul McCartney visibilmente emozionato ha intonato Hey Jude davanti a uno stadio che non riusciva ormai a stare più a stare fermo. E ballava.


Or, if you prefer ...

The greatest show in the world - no doubt rhetorical, overloaded meanings of Olympic, megalomaniac like all the others in the past, maybe even a little 'cloying but with fascinating plot twists, and certainly expensive to nightmares (38 million euros official figure, much less than that of Beijing, they say ...), the Opening Ceremony, under the direction of the brilliant Danny Boyle, director of Trainspotting, began with the passage of the reactors of the Red Arrows and the RAF with the bucolic landscape of 'ancient English countryside (even used 7346 square meters of grass pitch) with a lot of sheep, horses, geese and goats and then catapultarti body with a countdown at 9 o'clock and a tolling of the bell with a lot of Olympic rope pulled by Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins, engaged inter alia in the road race a few hours later, on a journey through the classic English world: from Shakespeare, of course, but also to continue in a very random video with boating, Rugby, technology, the Morris Minor, the music of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, Winston Churchill, Mary Poppins, James Bond and Harry Potter. And also a tribute to Sir Tim Berners Lee, now a professor at MIT in Boston, who in 1989 invented the World Wide Web: Internet.

The campaign has been wonderfully transformed nineteenth-century industry with seven large chimneys sprouted from the ground. In an absolutely brilliant on giant screens appeared a mini-movie produced by the BBC with the latest 007, Daniel Craig, who joined the office of the real Queen Elizabeth, became singular Bond Girl, to escort her outside Buckingham Palace and go by helicopter . From which then a stunt, of course, is thrown together with a parachute to 007. As if the two words were landing in the stadium. The effect was stunning. Immediately after the Queen Elizabeth at 21.30, next to the IOC President Rogge and Prince Philip, entered the Royal Box with the same pink coat and hat with which he played his own role alongside James Bond. The Union Jack was raised on the flagpole, and a children's choir sang God Save The Queen. Very, very British. Definitely the highlight of the show.

A tribute to the many female nurses, revenue in the stadium with hospital beds, which were sacrificed during the Second World War to help the soldiers. JK Rowling, Harry Potter's mother magco, read Peter Pan beginning the wildest part of the show and casual. England, therefore, not only classical, but also the new, more brilliant. The music of Chariots of Fire (Vangelis) was contaminated with Mr. Bean (Rowan Atkinson) mixed clumsy pianist in the orchestra and a video with him making the trip up to the others that run alongside. Music, lots of music, not just the Beatles and Rolling Stones, but also by Mike Oldfield, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, The Queen, Sex Pistols, Eurythmics, Bee Gees, as a mark, such as a gene of the DNA of a nation, in every If the soundtrack to a life of 60 years from today. The much anticipated David Beckham has appeared in a video carrying the Olympic torch in a boat on the Thames.

Over seven thousand young people, including extras and Stagehands were needed to set up the gigantic spectacle. The stadium bombarded with thousands and thousands of lights. A show, say the organizers, seen on TV by 4 billion people. Too many, the BBC gave a billion more cautiously.

The parade of athletes - the show closed after about an hour and a half, Greece has traditionally opened the parade of athletes. The Brazilian rider Rodrigo Pessoa behind the famous Jr., paid tribute to England with a dizzying miniskirt. The Czech Republic has marched, very ironically, with umbrella and rubber galoshes. Germany seemed to be out of a nursery with men and women in blue to pink. The Bermuda in Bermuda, of course. The Group of Independent Olympic Athletes (three West Indians and one Sudanese remained virtually without reference Olympic Committee) have happily danced on the runway: athletes without a flag but no brothers left to chance. Italy has made its way behind a cheerful beaming Valentina Vezzali. Imposing Paul Gasol of Spain runner. The BBC reported the moving words of the bearer of Rwanda, the rider Adrien Niyonshuti: "My goal is to say that Rwanda is a good ground for cyclists and not for genocide." The beautiful Russian Sharapova has captured the eyes of the world. Oscar Pistorius, with his bionic legs, was mixed in the South African delegation. On Nepal, the Himalayas, was presented with a swimmer Prassiddha Jung Shah. China and U.S. squads were filled with their half-court. Usain Bolt of Jamaica's flag waved imperially, by coming down the stage with applause. Britain wearing uniforms pretty ordinary actually, designed by Stella McCartney daughter of Paul and intruppata behind the formidable Chris Hoy, riders, with four Olympic golds, has closed on the notes at full volume by David Bowie "Heroes".

The opening of the Games - The Great Sebastian Coe, two-time Olympian in 1500, and chairman of the organizing committee, has piloted the ceremony to the most sacred part of the XXX Olympiad. And with important words, also moved: "Welcome to London, I have dedicated my entire life to the sport. If you want to participate in the sport you love sports, I've never been so proud to be British than at this time. This is our moment, "he said. "The Games have come home tonight," continued the IOC president Jacques Rogge, pointing out that London is the only city in the world that has had the opportunity and honor to host them for three times. "You will inspire a generation," he said, addressing the thousands of athletes who filled the center of the field.

Solemn the brief words of Queen Elizabeth: "I declare open the Games in London, celebrating the thirtieth edition of the modern era." It 's entry, the Olympic flag carried by Haile Gebrselassie, the ambassador Sally Becker, UN Secretary Ban Ki Moon, the composer Daniel Baremboin. While the background with his white suit and dark glasses appeared to Muhammad Ali. Undermined by the disease but still able to touch their hearts by his mere presence.

The taekwondo athlete Sarah Stevenson of English read the Olympic oath. David Beckham has brought the Olympic torch on a boat on the river that flows around the stadium, handing it to the great Steve Redgrave, escorted by an honor guard of five hundred workers who participated in the construction of the stadium. There was one last torchbearer classic, but the torch was handed over to seven young people who represent the future and that sparked the Olympic brazier consisting of 204 petals, as many nations participating in the center of the Olympic stadium on the notes Pink Floyd.A visibly moved Paul McCartney sang Hey Jude in front of a stadium that could not be more now to keep still. And she danced.

 

[Butch Willykins]

The Beijing opening ceremony was visually amazing, it was done so it didn't matter where you were from it would look good. This only people who already know British history will understand it.

This is where my and your idea of an enjoyable opening ceremony differ.

Bejing = generic dancing about in leotards

London = Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Dizzee Rascall on the same bill

there is no right or wrong answer, I just massivley preferred London.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

f***ing fantastic, even if I can't get up for the games themselves, we rocked GB!

 

[JamesAndTheGiantHead]

I thought it was amazing, and I normally hate EVERYTHING, even BHA.