Tokyo Olympiad
Seen it?1965 | 170 min | Documentary
Sunday Safe Betearly ratingWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
Critics loved it (100% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had almost no lasting buzz and soft box office. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for the curious. If you loved Icarus, start here.
- The mood
- Eye-opening.
- The pace
- Unhurried and epic, at 2 hr 50 min.
- What might put you off
- It's long: 2 hr 50 min.
- It's in Japanese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Made in 1965: an older pace and style.
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.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
100% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesNot counted
Not measured yet: not enough ratings
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Reach & staying powerBelow par
Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactWeak
About 9K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Kon Ichikawa
- Abebe BikilaSelf
- Ahmed IssaSelf
- Yoshinori SakaiSelf
- Joe FrazierSelf
- Emperor Hirohito of JapanSelf