The ceremony instead featured those troubles more palatable to the developed world: global warming and damage to the country’s magnificent Amazon rainforest.
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So maybe this was the flawless place to host the opening ceremony for an Olympic Games which, before the first medal is even handed out, has already divided Brazilian society and reiterated the gulf between the haves and the have nots.
Yes, I said colorful tricycles. Because for sure, Olympic organizers were in no position to use limousines.
These Games are expected to emerge billions of dollars in the red by the time they conclude in two weeks, thanks to alleged corruption and the crash of oil prices that tanked the nation’s economy. They put on a fun and upbeat show that managed to hit a whole lot of right notes.
The creative force behind the ceremonies, Brazilian film director Fernando Meirelles, admitted that his goal was to produce a show that would be “a drug for depression” for his countrymen. Athletes from Cameroon wore traditional flowing robes, those from communist-led Cuba had outfits designed by a French luxury footwear designer; those from Australia wore seersuckers and shorts, as if preparing for an afternoon of yachting. But it was an honest statement. Germany will be represented by 423 athletes.
But it was through the athletes, past and present, that this ceremony truly shone and reminded us why, for all the doom and gloom that hangs over the beginning of these Games, for every dirty athlete that walked side-by-side with clean ones, Rio 2016 will still have the capacity to inspire and deliver some of the most lovely human moments. “In the end, I feel good that I am not spending money that Brazil hasn’t got”.
And so it went, a minimalist ceremony (except in length) – “analogue”, Meirelles called it – that was made more for television than the Maracana.
The stadium’s stark white floor served as a blank canvas for images of crashing waves and a verdant forest floor.
Can I just say this?
Giant inflatable hands, among the night’s few special effects, transformed from fists into peace signs and a thumbs-up.
Nevertheless, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach was not tempted to show off his samba skills.
He added: “I am proud of my city, proud of my country”. A segment that depicted the growth of the country’s cities, complete with acrobats dancing and flipping across the rising skyscrapers, was similarly visually compelling. He took over from suspended President Dilma Rousseff, who is facing an impeachment trial and tweeted that she was “sad to not be at the party”.
When the Parade of Nations was finished, trees sprang up from the planters and rained confetti throughout the stadium. Belarus donned sort of a Brooks Brothers gray.
And what of the U.S. team?
The opening ceremony included a tribute to the many nationalities that have contributed to Brazil’s culture – indigenous people, Europeans (who came as explorers and conquerers), Africans (who came as slaves), and Arabs and Asians (who came as immigrants escaping hardships). Gisele’s husband, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, was not paraded around the stadium in an under-inflated football.
More than 80,000 police and security staff are being used in the city – double the amount used for the London Olympics in 2012. Soccer legend Pele, the odds-on favorite to do the honors, announced earlier Friday that he “was not physically able to attend the opening of the Olympics”.
Vanderlei de Lima was a terrific sub, though.
De Lima was leading the Olympic marathon in 2004 in Athens at 19 miles when a spectator leaped from the crowd and attacked him.
Iconic, historic and, at the same time, the site of one of the country’s indelible moments of shame: a shock defeat to Uruguay in the 1950 World Cup final, a memory so devastating that it even deserves its own word.
That never really happened.
The opening ceremony’s budget paled in comparison to what was afforded to London four years ago, however what it lacked in financial resources it made up for with a brilliant and colourful reflection of Brazil and its proud people. But the show went on inside.
He said: “We are living a world of crises, mistrust and uncertainty”.
For one night, you could do that. We’ll see about the ensuing 16 days.
Brazilian supermodel Giselle Bundchen’s sashay across the stadium to the sound of The Girl From Ipanema will no doubt feature in newspapers around the globe, as will a clever section that featured a biplane appearing to fly out of the stadium and circle the city’s signature Christ the Redeemer statue. On with the Games.
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They, too, danced around the track.
