The opening of the Olympic Games in Paris became a real cultural spectacle, filled with symbols and elements of French history, but at the same time it caused a scandal. The author of the article, Iryna Ulitenko, a blogger and cultural expert, looks at how the ceremony depicts important moments of French history and culture through unusual symbols and theatrical techniques. Will this demonstration be able to emphasize France's deep cultural roots and identity?
The show in Paris on the occasion of the opening of the Olympic Games and the demons that are dispersed by social networks.
The French embodied or brought to life important cultural or historical themes that others might not understand. Maybe someone will have an interesting explanation.
One of the main characters of this ceremony was a mysterious figure in a mask and hood, who, with the Olympic flame in his hands, crosses Paris in parkour mode through the roofs of the capital. And this figure symbolizes a character from the famous Assassin's Creed game.
Lady Gaga performed Zizi Jeanmer's My thing in feather on the golden staircase that replicates the steps of the Grand Palais and under the legendary Guimard (French architect) sign of the Paris Metro.
The French cancan does not need an explanation))) as does the mention of the "Little Prince".
Also, you can see a scene reminiscent of Les Misérables ("The Wretched", Hugo's novel)
In the famous library of Paris, French literature was noted: "Romances without phrases" by Verlaine, "Dangerous Liaisons" by Pierre Chauderlot de Laclos or even "Triumph of Love" by Mariveau.
Along the Seine there are jets of water, fountains directly echoing Versailles, with its park and fountains designed by Andre Lenotre, and the culture of castles in general. You can also see two historical figures: Napoleon and Louis XIV.
Following the reconstruction of Eugène Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People at the Conciergerie, French metal band Gojira reinterprets the revolutionary song Ah! ça ira, which begins with a scene of red Marie Antoinette holding her own head in her hands. The Conciergerie is where the Queen was imprisoned before her execution.
On the part of the Louvre, the theft of the "Gioconda" brings us back to the story of the disappearance in 1911 of Leonardo da Vinci's painting, known throughout the world. Half-immersed in the Seine, the works, which contemplate athletes passing by, are references to paintings exhibited in the Louvre museum.
The white rider on the metal horse is the embodiment of the image of the Seine, the goddess of the river and a symbol of resistance.
At the ceremony, they tried to show NOT the Last Supper, but the painting "Banquet of the Gods" with Bacchus and the goddess Sequana (Celtic goddess), who, according to legend, was transformed into water from the Seine (river).
The blue man was the image of Dionysus, aka Bacchus or Bacchus
The incredible balloon with the Olympic flame in the Tuileries Park, which rises into the air, is a direct tribute to the memory of the Montgolfier brothers, the inventors of the balloon itself. The first balloon journey reached the highest point, 1000 m, during the flight just above the Tuileries Gardens.
Everything is simple. Well, almost easy if you know the French.
And the mascot of the Olympic Games-24 is impossible to guess if you do not know French history.
