There was an article in the Guardian recently that if you want an opening ceremony done right give it to a totalitarian dictatorship. It has a point. Those countries often have a point to make about how perfect life is in their country, how great are their achievements, etc. Basically we are XXXX, hear us roar. In the unlikely event that Pyongyang ever gets the Olympics I have no doubt that we would have a perfect mass coordinated opening ceremony dazzling in its immensity, probably followed by the atmospheric explosion of a couple of small nuclear devices. Just to make the point.
The point is that the opening ceremony of an Olympics should show the host countries core values to the rest of the world. Also hide its imperfections under the mass of synchronised pyrotechnics and orchestrated participation. Beijing for example produced a ceremony which was all about the greatness of new China, and no mention of Tiananmen square or the Mao pogroms. So what statement did the London 2012 opening ceremony make about this country?
Lets be clear, organising the ceremony was the epitomy of a poisoned chalice. For starters Danny Boyle had to fight against the national cynicism that Britain could not organise a drinking session in a brewery. Secondly he had to find a common thread which would unite all of the UK. Finding something every Scotsman, Welshman, Northern Irishman, never mind your Yorkshireman, scouser, cockney can agree on? Good luck with that Mr Boyle.
Not only that but he could not use the part of our shared history which is not shared so fondly with half the world. Probably a country at the peak of its powers would have no problem celebrating its ownership of half the world. But the British(apart from some Daily Fail readers) know that our days of greatness have gone probably forever and it would be impolite to remind the rest of the world of what is already here considered ancient and slightly embarrassing history.
The truth is that being a member of a nation is like being part of an exclusive club. You have to follow certain rules, but at the same time it gives you certain privileges. British people moan about loads of things. The weather, the national health service, how bad our sport teams are, politicians, etc. The list is a long one. However being cynical is something that defines the British national character. It is possible that it is not unique to this country, but surely not to the same degree. Maybe parts of China go around disparaging their national transport system, but I severely doubt it. If there was an Olympic sport of moaning we would have no peers.
That is not to say anyone can whinge. The biggest mistake someone foreign to our shores can make is to assume that cynicism is a game they can join in with. Come to these shores and tell us that our weather is bad, our sports teams are useless and you will be met with cold stares. We know you are right, but not being our member of the club gives you no rights to say so. Thats why the presidential nominee Mitt Romney made such a huge faux pas when he criticised the UK Olympic preparations. He was only saying the same things that have been in the British newspapers for the last few weeks, but he was not a member. He probably thought that his remarks would bond him with the average British citizen. Instead he achieved something that seemed virtually impossible only a few weeks ago. He bonded the entire UK in pride about the 2012 Olympics. The only thing that probably could have connected us more was if he was tar and feathered, set alight and used to launch the Olympic flame.
So how would Danny Boyle define us. Well he took our cynicism and turned the problem on its head. If cynicism is a common British trait, then why not make it central to the ceremony.
The ceremony was launched with an idealised Britain, one which probably never existed. This was transformed into the industrial wasteland while men in top hats praised the monster they created. Being cynical and British, you could be hard pressed not to see a metaphor with the current banking crisis.
Then we went onto a section which brought the NHS to the center stage. However it was not about celebrating Britain's contribution to universal health care(I wondered how our American cousins reacted to this part).It was about the ability to celebrate whatever we wanted. I am sure at this point there were a number of Conservative MP's choking on their cocoa, when they saw a fair proportion of the Olympic ceremony turned into an advert for a system that they consider as a socialist excess. But think of it this way, do you think in Beijing there would have been a part of the ceremony celebrating how capitalism has formed their country? The fact is this part of the ceremony was as much about the British attitude to authority as it was the NHS. It was in fact a public two fingered salute to our leadership. A celebration that we can do things without central authority overseeing every stage, without the danger of being sent to the local gulag.
Then there was Rowan Atkinson. This is where the ceremony went from good to genius. As a nation we know deep down that we will make mistakes(see the Korean flag issue). As a nation we are not good at accepting detailed control. You just have to look at the unions who took the opportunity of Britain's biggest day to try and throw a collective spanner in the works, in the worship of self interest. So making a joke of how individuals make mistakes is like the British laughing at ourselves. Which is again is a national pastime.
It also poked fun at the whole ludicrousness of the bureaucracy and pettiness of the Olympic hierarchy. It brought the whole event down off of its high horse, and said yes its important, but lets put things in context. Seriously if they ever decide to change our national anthem, I'm sure we will replace it with Monty Pythons "Always look on the bright side of life". If nothing else it would make the singing of anthems before football matches far more interesting.
So the London 2012 Olympic ceremony highlighted the British cynicism, our refusal to bow to authority, our liking of poking fun at ourselves and at our desire to take authority down a peg or two. I am not sure what the rest of the world made of it but it sure made me proud to be British.
Bravo Mr Atkinson and well done Mr Boyle, you did us proud.
