Tokyo Olympiad (1965)

Tôkyô orinpikku (1965)

***Unable to locate the image of VHS case at this time.

Length of film: 170 Minutes (Edited: 163 Minutes) (Heavily Edited: 125 Minutes)

Rated: Not Rated

Genre: Documentary, Sport

Director: Kon Ichikawa

Starring: Antonio Ambu, Gary Anderson, Gerry Ashworth, Polina Astakhova, Mike Austin, Viktor Baikov, Karin Balzer

IMDB Rank: 7.8/10

Part 1 Time: 84 Minutes (Edited: 80 Minutes) (Heavily Edited: 70 Minutes)

Part 2 Time: 86 Minutes (Edited: 83 Minutes) (Heavily Edited: 55 Minutes)

Where does the first part end?

Original/ Edited/ Heavily Edited: Shows the Olympic podium with the individual winners of the men’s individual all-around gymnastics (gold: Yukio Endo, silver: Viktor Lisitsky, Boris Shakhlin, and Shuji Tsurumi).

Final line of dialogue on the first part:

Original/Edited: No dialogue in the entire gymnastics segment, instead a musical score plays with occasional subtitles displaying the athlete name that is being highlighted. The last subtitle to be displayed is “Yukio Endo (Japan).”

Heavily Edited: Narrator ends segment stating the winners of both the men’s and women’s gymnastics, “Women’s team U.S.S.R. and the individual winner Věra Čáslavská of Czechoslovakia.”

First line of dialogue on the second part:

Original/Edited: “This man comes from Chad,” the Narrator states as athletes from Chad arrive at the airport.

Heavily Edited: Narrator introduces the next segment on the Olympic Village, “Olympic Village in the Yoyogi park in the middle of Tokyo.”

How jarring is it when the first part ends? Minimal, as the film showcases the events and athletes competing in the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games. There are many versions of the film, but to truly get the best experience one is suggested to watch the original 170 minute version.

Which part is better? This film captures the intensity and drama of Olympic competition and stands as a reminder of the glories of past athletes that have been forgotten with the passage of time. Part one, includes the opening ceremonies as well as all the athletic events. Part two includes all the remaining competitions including swimming, gymnastics, shooting, wrestling, judo, boxing fencing, weightlifting, cycling, volleyball, closing ceremony, and life in the Olympic Village. Part two is given a slight advantage due to the diversity of events showcased which shows the athletic specialities of each country.

Academy Awards: None