Olympic Opening

It's Saturday! Did everyone watch the opening ceremony to the Summer Olympics yesterday? I did and was pleasantly surprised and entertained. For the 40.7 million viewers who did, they must have been doing something right. This was the most watched Summer opening in 50 years. The creative aspects and the visuals of the Olympics were stunning and breathtaking. The highlights for me were the Queen's entrance in the James Bond skit, the lighting of the torch and cauldron which was done in an innovative manner, and Paul McCartney closing the show. But my favorite part of the Olympics was undoubtedly Mr. Bean. If you aren't familiar with Mr. Bean, he's a British comedian character. His mannerisms make him funny. He doesn't need to say a thing but can still manage to make you laugh. I still remember watching the movie when I was in Paris. This was my first encounter with Mr. Bean and I was hooked ever since. Here is his hilarious skit at the Olympic Opening.

Like I said, the visual imagery to the opening ceremony was absolutely breathtaking. This was thanks to Danny Boyle, English producer and director. The opening was inspired by Shakespeare. That's why everything was so fluid and poetic. The joining of the Olympic rings was majestic and suspenseful. I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. The thought of not knowing what was going to happen and the surprise element of the pyrotechnics surely stood out and wowed.

photo via Screen Rant

The skit  "Isles of Wonder" about children's literacy was creepy yet wonderful. Everything was so surreal. It brought books to life and challenged my imagination. It was creative and dreamlike in every way. The standout was when a group of Mary Poppins flew down into the stadium on their umbrellas. It was incredible to watch and by you can tell by the image below, every aspect of the show was directed perfected. The composition is brilliant and shows an every surreal image.

photo via Mail Online

The lighting of the cauldron was somewhat unexpected. We are all used to seeing something significant lighting the cauldron to signify the opening of the games. It was unique in that 7 young athletes each holding a torch lit a petal of the cauldron. This ignited a series of 204 lighted petals, one for each nation competing in the games. Staying modern is about being innovative and thinking about new ways to enhance and better a tradition. I commend the Olympics for breaking away from tradition. The end results holds such a significance and symbolizes much more than a recognized face lighting the cauldron.

photo via Mail Online

photo via Mail Online

 

Sir Paul McCartney closing the show brought tears to my eyes. I've been a Beatles fan for some time now and 'Hey Jude' is one of my favorite songs. The Olympic opening in London was so iconic and memorable that even Paul McCartney got choked up. This was a real moment for me and I was glad to have witness such a moving piece. All in all the opening ceremony to the Olympics was simply amazing. It doesn't matter what country you are rooting for. Watching the games and showing your spirit is what counts. My favorite part of the actual games is swimming. I've been watching it to see how much gold Michael Phelps can win. This year I wanted to watch Ryan Lochte take gold and he just did in the 400-meter. And to my surprise, Phelps came in 4th. Oh I'm excited to watch the rest of the games! Tune in and check it out!