OLYMPIC GAMES FILM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26904, 16 October 1948, Page 8

OLYMPIC GAMES FILM

Sir,—After seeing the Arthur Rank production purporting to be a complete record of the fourteenth Olympiad, I can only express the hope that New Zealand sportsmen will be given an opportunity of seeing a more detailed film of the Games. It is obvious that this picture was never made for the benefit of athletes; and it falls far short of the German production of the 1936 Games for the maintenance of interest and suspense. Perhaps the worst feature of the film is the speed at which the track events are run. In the 100 Metres final the commentator has barely time to name the competitors once before the race is under way. The race is run off at its actual speed, giving the audience absolutely no chance to sort out the various runners from the mass of rushing bodies or to attempt to study their action. The commentaries during the film frequently spoil the' drama of the events by failings to impress the audience with the significance of each performance. Owing to the great length of time devoted to the Winter Games at St. Moritz, many of the most important events at the Games are missed. The Decathlon, the 10.000, 1500 and 800-metre races, the Pentathlon. Men’s Javelin, and Discus Throwing are some of those completely ignored. An event which is efficiently filmed is the Marathon, which is treated in similar fashion to the German portrayal of this race. Colour and spectacle over-ride accuracy and educational interest throughout the whole film.—l am, etc.. Sportsman.