30 Second Bottom Line: The 1964 Summer Olympics are seen up close and personal in a the pure sense of athleticism that focuses on the athletes, without the "spins" that are now the norm we expect and like from sports announcers and writers.

Long before the Berlin Wall was to fall, East and West Germany came together to compete in the summer Olympics of 1964. They and we were all asked to put aside our less than perfect thoughts regarding race, creed and religion. The games of 1964 were the 18th Olympics and other than for war, which is ironic, as it's the antithesis of peace, are held every four years.

In 1964, ninety-four countries competed; some for the first time, such as Chad, an African nation only four years old. The young runner from Chad, Isa, was 22 years old, and he was there to compete, do the best he could and if he did not win, that was perfectly fine. Watching him eat alone in the cafeteria and stroll the streets of Tokyo sightseeing, gives a sense of the importance of sports in this setting. It is important to the competitor and to the nation they represent. Almost certainly, Isa had never traveled that far before and may not have even been on an airplane. Watching a young Japanese child befriend him and seeing him reciprocate was touching. If you are starting to wonder if this film shows any sports events, don't worry, there are plenty. It's just that there is so much more to the film than those who stood on the podium to receive a medal.

With the exception of Bob Hayes (runner) and Joe Frazier (boxer), all of the active athletes are unknowns (to me anyway). Jesse Owens was in the stands waving and one can't help but smile at that image. There were some sponsors' names you'd see around, like a Coke machine in the cafeteria and from time to time a name like Nippon on clothing. It was not a commercial-fest, with ads on sweatbands and shoes, and product banners covering the inside walls of the stadium. Throughout the film, the purity of what sports are about is what is communicated.

The phrase "up close and personal" takes on a new meaning when you see the athletes compete in this film. The pole vault competition lasted over nine hours and at the end looking at the two finalists try their third and final attempt to clear the bar was thrilling. Much of that was based upon the fact that you were with the athlete and the main sound was that of the stadium crowd, with minimal voice over narration. Although this film has sub titles, so much of what you gather is from what you see and feel, that even a dedicated hater of foreign films will like this one.

There is just as much focus on the person that comes in first as the one that finishes last. In the 10,000 meter (25 trips around the track) men's race, watching the leaders lap other runners, who are the best in the world, says a lot about conditioning, stamina and a strong will. When they were in the final lap, seeing the leaders reach for their physical and mental reserves for a spurt toward the finish line gave me chills. The crowning touch though was the last runner to cross the finish line who got an ovation from the crowd that appeared as thunderous as was given to the medallists.

Another thrilling segment was the 80-meter women's hurdles. Director Ichikawa held the crowd noise and just gave us the track sounds, with close-ups of the women as they jumped hurdles that seemed too close not to knock down. Looking at the determination on their faces as they rush closer to you at the finish line was riveting. As they cleared the last hurdle and raced toward the finish line, the crowd noise was brought back in and you soon saw the winners in joy and relief.

Some events were acknowledged but not shown such as horse racing and fencing. There were moments of intense interest that were much less about who won than about the individual effort to win. These included personal challenges in wrestling, swimming, the shot put, rowing, sailing, biking, field hockey, soccer and women's volleyball. Clearly the funniest sport was that of walking. It's like running except that this sport walking is defined as "one foot may be lifted only after the other has touched the ground." When you do that as fast as you can, you look like a duck being chased by a fox.

The last sporting event in the Olympics is the men's marathon. Abebe Bikila was the first person to win twice in a row and he did it in apparent ease even though he had appendix surgery only four weeks prior! He was the Tiger Woods and Lance Armstrong of his day. Bikila finished in just over two hours and the last person to cross the line was at almost four hours. Both were warmly received by all.

This film ties together all of various events in the Olympics. The opening ceremonies are somber and respectful, illustrating the intention of peace and goodwill to all; big and small, rich and poor, the world's best and the ones just proud to be there, knowing they don't have a prayer for a medal, marching side by side providing mutual applause. After the medals have been awarded, the closing ceremonies are festive, joyful and in full out party mode for medal winners as well as those that came in last or anywhere in between. One can sense that barriers have been dropped because of the competition and the coming together of nations.

Tell Me More About It: My first reaction to the film was that it was very good but not great, in part because I have been conditioned to see such events accompanied by the slick commentary of the NBA Finals and The Super Bowl. We're made to feel it's difficult to understand what you are looking at unless its being explained to you, which means you don't have to think. Between the announcers and instant replays, looking at sports really is for couch potatoes.

Looking at a documentary made almost 40 years ago, which addresses numerous issues still relevant today, that centers around sports with many records that have long since been broken, demonstrates the true meaning of the games. If seeing a film that is almost three hours long can help mankind move toward peace as a one way street, then everyone should see this film. Just think how long wars last, the suffering they bring to so many, and even when they end, the victors have no reason to smile or want to party (at least until they get back home and even then, that joy is short lived). Here, the positive feelings last a lifetime.