This is for everyone. - Danny Boyle, director of the London 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony
Olympic Bell
Inscribed with the words "be not afraid, the isle is full of noises" (a line from Shakespeare's The Tempest), the Bell was rung by Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins to launch the opening ceremony.
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| Pic credit: Paul Gilham |
Olympic Rings
A river of "molten steel" flowed forth, slowly filling up a perfect circle. Volunteers dressed up as workers were hammering away at it. Out of a sudden, this circle was raised into the air and combined with other four circles from different sides of the stadium to form the Olympic rings. Sparks were emitted. Magnificent, eh?
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| Pic credit: Laurence Griffith |
Olympic Cauldron
I thought the Olympic Cauldron would be a big receptable, lit by a torch-bearer. Turns out that the organising committee had something else in mind.
I noticed that during the parade of nations, a team from each country was led by a flag-bearer, plaque-bearers and a child holding something. I wasn't paying much attention to these children, but later, it was revealed that each of the children was carrying a "copper petal" inscribed with the name of the country he or she was accompanying and the words “XXX Olympiad London 2012”. These copper "petals" were later joined to steel "stems" and ignited by seven young athletes (a break from tradition). This huge manufactured open fire flower then bloomed in the reverse fashion by rising up and coming together, symbolising the peaceful gathering of 204 nations and territories competing in the Games.
Said Thomas Heatherwick, the designer/developer of the Olympic Cauldron:
We were aware cauldrons had been getting bigger, higher, fatter as each Olympics happened and we felt we shouldn't try to be even bigger than the last ones. This incredible event has 204 nations coming together, so we had a child from each country bringing these copper polished objects in. At the end of the Games this cauldron will dismantle itself and radiate back down to the ground and each of those copper pieces will be taken away by each nation and put in a national Olympic cabinet somewhere.
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| Credit: Associated Press (AP) |
I like it. Simple, beautiful and symbolic.
Drum performance
Dame Evelyn Glennie led the drumming for the Pandemonium segment. I joked that it was Lady Gaga performing (not!). The music played by the percussion was Underworld's "And I Will Kiss".
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| Pic credit: Lars Baron |
Rowan Atkinson as Mr. Bean
Need I say more? :P
Parachute
Stunt performers acting as Mr. Bond and the Queen jumped off a helicopter over the stadium. British sense of humour. Her Majesty was safely on the ground, arriving shortly after the parachute sequence.
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| Pic credit: Olivier Morin |
Floating Inflatable Baby?
Part of the tribute to U.K.'s National Health Service. Children, nurses, hospital beds, giant inflatable baby ...
Throughout the show, you could detect British sense and sensibility, some touch of humour and most evidently, individuality. The organisers did not choose to follow Beijing's grand, majestic and synchronised opening ceremony; rather, they honestly reflected upon their past and brought it out for the whole world to see. Musicians, authors, royalty, athletes, children and others all came together in a ceremony that was more whimsical than solemn. Present throughout the opening ceremony was the inherently British self-deprecating humour. The organisers also display their economic and environmental sense in matters of performers' costumes, arenas and stadiums as well as the Olympic Cauldron.
A fine show, one that stands on its own.
