Back
Tokyo Olympiad

Documentary

Tokyo Olympiad

The Man’s Picture… Every Woman Will Love!

7.7(51) 3/20/1965 2h 50m
Documentary

This impressionistic portrait of the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics pays as much attention to the crowds and workers as it does to the actual competitive events. Highlights include an epic pole-vaulting match between West Germany and America, and the final marathon race through Tokyo's streets. Two athletes are highlighted: Ethiopian marathon runner Abebe Bikila, who receives his second gold medal, and runner Ahamed Isa from Chad, representing a country younger than he is.

Part of the 100 Years of Olympic Films: 1912–2012
Play Trailer

Trailer

Advertisement · movie-mid-43618

Top Cast

Abebe Bikila

Abebe Bikila

Self

Ahmed Issa

Ahmed Issa

Self

Yoshinori Sakai

Yoshinori Sakai

Self

Joe Frazier

Joe Frazier

Self

Emperor Hirohito of Japan

Emperor Hirohito of Japan

Self

Directed by

Kon Ichikawa

Production

Reviews

CinemaSerf

7/10

6/9/2025

Television sport coverage was so often a fertile source of innovation and this couple of hours of highlights from the 1964 Tokyo Olympics showcases that really well. Initially, though, we focus a little on the rejuvenating effects of getting the games in your city. Demolition of derelict areas and the construction of new facilities designed to last well beyond the fortnight of the Games. Thence to an opening ceremony that sees the USA and the USSR walking just feet apart (with no obvious defections) before the Emperor opens the world’s only truly global exercise in competitive excellence. Now the editorial does rather follow the requirements of the paymasters at bit, so some nations feature far more than others but in the main this showcases well the strenuous and impassioned performances

Where to Watch

Streaming availability powered by JustWatch via TMDB

Community Reviews

Be the first to rate this title.

Loading…