Superlative

We tend to overuse superlatives in this day and age… and that’s not a good thing. It seems like everything “good” becomes “great” or even “spectacular.” The upshot of this overuse of superlatives is that we are left without adequate adjectives to describe something that is truly great, spectacular, or “off the charts.” That was the feeling I got last evening while watching the 2008 Olympiad’s Opening Ceremonies. The Chinese presented a show that was SO well done, so superbly orchestrated, so flawlessly executed, and so visually stunning that I was left breathless in anticipation of the next act as the one I was watching ended… as in “how are they gonna top this?” But top it they did. One marvel led to yet another amazement… for the entire 45 minute production. I’d never seen anything like last night’s show in my entire life, and I’m thinking I never will again.

It looks like the International Olympic Committee, NBC, and/or whomever have clamped down on video of last night’s show… there simply isn’t any this morning. Two videos on YouTube were posted but taken down due to “copyright violations.” And that’s too bad. You’d think the Chinese themselves would want videos of their tour de force disseminated all over the world, but apparently that’s not the case. But… I did find a five-minute slideshow:

And now for some comment… From the Seattle Times: “Opening ceremony, second thoughts:”

-- The ceremony, in full-on HD and hi-fi sound, was a visual triumph on television. Having seen a lot of these, I can say that nothing has equalled it in presence, precision, and sheer force of humanity. Friends on the scene in the Bird's Nest -- after rehydrating from the sweat bath that was the stadium -- agree with that assessment. It was stunning.

"When it comes to opening ceremonies," Bob Costas said, "retire the trophy." And he's right. It wasn't the most heartfelt, or the most original. But technically and artistically? Off the charts. Plus, the Chinese get it about the flame in the cauldron: Make it big, baby.

-- NBC's coverage, with some obvious caveats (two words: Matt Lauer) was effective. Not in the constant blather and faux emotion of Costas and Lauer, but in its production values and in the interpretation of the historical and cultural elements of the show by NBC China analyst Josh Cooper Ramo -- a former Seattle Times intern! (We taught him everything he knows.)

From Xinhua… “Beijing Olympics Opening ceremony director praises team performance:”

BEIJING, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- "I regret many things, many details of this performance, many things that I could have done better," said Zhang Yimou, director of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games, at a press conference here on Saturday.

After planning and carrying out a spectacular event that reflected the ancient and modern images of China to the world, Zhang remained humble and reflective.

"For example, there are performers who were injured. I blame myself for that. It might well have been avoided if I had given more detailed instructions," he said.

"We had many difficulties. I do not like complaining, but sometimes there are obstacles you can not overcome, that you and your team have to face," he said. "What everyone cares about is the final result. We all know this, so we don't explain."

Contrary to the harsh criticism he reserved for himself, the acclaimed film director gave unreserved acclaim to the team as a whole. "I would give our whole team a '100' in the performance of the opening ceremony," Zhang said.

A multimedia, three-dimensional display on such a large scale is very complicated and demands the utmost of each member of the team, he said.

About 22,000 people took part in the gala, in which 15,000 costumes were used and 43,000 fireworks lit.

With all the technical complexities involved, the opening ceremony was 100 times more difficult than making a movie, he said, adding that such a performance was unprecedented in the world.

Mr. Zhang is modest to a fault. My eye didn’t catch one single miscue throughout the whole performance, but then again… the teevee cameras couldn’t have been everywhere, and it’s impossible that such a huge production could have been completely error-free. But it certainly appeared to be…at least through my eyes. And Mr. Zhang is correct when he says the performance was “unprecedented in the world.” That’s a fact, Jack. The Telegraph (UK) has a biographical portrait of Mr. Zhang here.

And finally… from the WaPo (“From China, a Spectacle Worthy of a Gold Medal”):

But never mind the technical details, nor the various statistics parceled out by the commentators (91,000 in the stands, 11,000 athletes participating, 15,000 performers in the show); the cumulative effect of watching the spectacle keep topping itself was to be utterly and gratifyingly wowed.

"I don't see how anyone could dispute the quality of this opening ceremony," Costas said.

I don't either.

I hope you watched the show last night. You missed something truly spectacular, in every sense of the word, if you didn’t.

Update: There's a 52-minute video of the Opening Ceremony at nbcolympics.com... look for "Opening Ceremony Sights and Sounds. " In HD, no less.