From heroin addicts to Olympian splendor ...
Source: Agencies |
July 30, 2012, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
DANNY Boyle stunned the world with his spectacular Olympics opening ceremony but the Hollywood-feted filmmaker has won over his own country and enhanced his place among the nation's cultural elite with his unpretentious approach to life.
Boyle, 55, was initially considered an odd choice to devise the ceremony that would showcase Britain to the world and set the tone for the 2012 Games.
After all, he had shot to fame with the stark 1996 film "Trainspotting" with its gritty portrayal of heroin addicts in working-class Edinburgh and an unforgettable Ewan McGregor diving into a filthy toilet to retrieve drugs.
His rags-to-riches movie "Slumdog Millionaire," which won him an Oscar in 2008, also depicted the harsh reality of life, with graphic images of Indian street children woven into an upbeat story about an underdog beating the odds.
But Olympics organizers insisted Boyle's experience, energy, passion for Britain and unusual vision made him the perfect man for the job. They were proved right.
Boyle's 27 million pound (US$42 million) extravaganza was acclaimed internationally for highlighting the essence of Britain by mixing history, culture and humor in a technically stunning show.
Beijing's extravagant opening ceremony four years ago was a tough act to follow, but Boyle pulled it off.
As with his movies, he used a frenzied, high energy and compulsive soundtrack during the opening ceremony, deploying self-deprecating humor to highlight Britain's quirkiness with fake clouds, dancing nurses and neon doves on bikes.
But his coup of the evening was starring Queen Elizabeth in a film with James Bond actor Daniel Craig.
Boyle has modestly played down his role in the Olympics, saying his part was just the warm-up for the main show - the athletes - while praising the thousands of volunteer performers. His volunteers have in turn praised him, amazed at his down-to-earth manner.
Boyle told reporters: "This country and this city ... has given me everything I've got in my life, apart from my upbringing which was in Manchester and the values I got from that.
"In terms of opportunities I've had in my life, this city, which I'm very proud to live in, has given me everything."
Boyle, 55, was initially considered an odd choice to devise the ceremony that would showcase Britain to the world and set the tone for the 2012 Games.
After all, he had shot to fame with the stark 1996 film "Trainspotting" with its gritty portrayal of heroin addicts in working-class Edinburgh and an unforgettable Ewan McGregor diving into a filthy toilet to retrieve drugs.
His rags-to-riches movie "Slumdog Millionaire," which won him an Oscar in 2008, also depicted the harsh reality of life, with graphic images of Indian street children woven into an upbeat story about an underdog beating the odds.
But Olympics organizers insisted Boyle's experience, energy, passion for Britain and unusual vision made him the perfect man for the job. They were proved right.
Boyle's 27 million pound (US$42 million) extravaganza was acclaimed internationally for highlighting the essence of Britain by mixing history, culture and humor in a technically stunning show.
Beijing's extravagant opening ceremony four years ago was a tough act to follow, but Boyle pulled it off.
As with his movies, he used a frenzied, high energy and compulsive soundtrack during the opening ceremony, deploying self-deprecating humor to highlight Britain's quirkiness with fake clouds, dancing nurses and neon doves on bikes.
But his coup of the evening was starring Queen Elizabeth in a film with James Bond actor Daniel Craig.
Boyle has modestly played down his role in the Olympics, saying his part was just the warm-up for the main show - the athletes - while praising the thousands of volunteer performers. His volunteers have in turn praised him, amazed at his down-to-earth manner.
Boyle told reporters: "This country and this city ... has given me everything I've got in my life, apart from my upbringing which was in Manchester and the values I got from that.
"In terms of opportunities I've had in my life, this city, which I'm very proud to live in, has given me everything."
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