Shinoda treats his material with a dignified grace that renders his documentary one of the most aesthetically pleasing of all Olympic films. Sapporo is in... Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan, and the snow and winter chill ensure that the Winter Games live up to their name. While Dutch and Swiss athletes triumphed in certain disciplines, the Japanese won all three medals in the normal hill ski jumping. The figure skating is transformed into an interlude of beauty, with swans in flight superimposed over the skaters during their routines. During the finale, Toru Takemitsu's music enhances the suspense surrounding the large hill ski jumping competition.

Masahiro Shinoda | 1972 | 167' |2013 IOC Restored version