I had mixed emotions while watching last week’s Olympic opening ceremony. Awestruck by the sheer artistry of Parisian buildings and bridges. Happy to see tennis legends Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams chosen to carry the Olympic torch down the Seine. Nadia Comaneci, also on that boat, brought back 1976 memories of her perfect 10, very exciting at the time. Uncomfortable with the Monty-Python-like mockery of Marie Antoinette’s beheading. Mixing heavy metal with opera was creative, but unappealing to me. Appalled that Lady Gaga’s talents were suffocated in pink feathers. Maybe other spectators got the significance, but I was baffled. Although I have an embarrassingly large collection of French music CDs from the past 70 years, most of the pop music presented in this show was meaningless to me. I think French people understood its significance though and even liked the acts that poked fun at themselves.
Another aspect that was probably more fully appreciated by the French was the journey of the Olympic flame. Speculation was that the mysterious torchbearer was inspired by a number of characters from French culture: Belphégor, the Iron Mask, the titular character from “Phantom of the Opera,” Fantomas, Ezio from “Assassin's Creed,” and gentleman thief, Arsène Lupin, from Maurice Leblanc’s novel series. Having read some of the adventures of Arsène Lupin, I can see this possibility. With the masked torchbearer running on rooftops and performing parkour leaps across buildings, I could imagine Lupin cleverly disappearing from the scenes of his crimes. Anyway, I enjoyed the flame’s journey and was very touched by inclusion of the oldest (100) French Olympic champion in the relay.
One fact I did not hear the announcers mention is that the cauldron flame itself is a French innovation: a 22-foot ring of electric flames powered by water and light rather than actual fire.
Recognizing Celine Dion’s first sung syllable as Edith Piaf’s “Hymn to Love,” I was in tears. Finally—an honored French symbol from the past! Over my lifetime I’ve grown to love many aspects of French culture, from their emphasis on family, nature, and pure food to their high regard for creativity, art and literature, music, philosophy, and débrouillardise. Maybe I haven’t quite caught up with modern French sensibilities, or maybe the planners of the opening ceremony were trying so hard to be avant-garde, they left out the heart of French culture. Maybe a bit of both. Overall, my feeling about the ceremony was disappointment. That said, I wouldn’t have missed a minute of those four hours.
P.S. I just read a Parisian's explanation of the ceremony's cultural references. Although I'd been glued to my TV, I missed most of the details and backstory. This is very long, but well worth reading if you want to better understand the ceremony and its intention to please multiple generations.
https://walkparis.substack.com/p/the-whole-ceremony-was-very-you
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