Some have ridiculed him as a sensational ski jumper, while others have praised him as an inspirational superhero. He is the famous flying eagle Eddie in the history of the Winter Olympics. He was the first to represent Great Britain in the Winter Olympics ski jumping competition since 1928, and although he finished last in the two ski jumping (70m and 90m) at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, his figure soaring like an eagle over the field made his name remembered by audiences around the world. The self-production of the film of the same name about him has also inspired generations of people with dreams to bravely pursue their dreams.
Eddie the Eagle poster
Is the dream a "treasure box" that can no longer be opened after entering the society, or is it a step that continues to try, chase, and realize it throughout his life?
"Everyone should have the possibility to engage in sport without discrimination of any kind and embody the Olympic spirit of mutual understanding, friendship, solidarity and fair competition." This passage comes from a sports movie about the Winter Olympics that I recently watched, "Eddie the Eagle", which is based on real people and true events, which made me feel moved and excited, but also had a deeper understanding and understanding of the word "dream". Although only 10% to 15% of the film is based on the life experience of the protagonist who suffered from a leg disease and was highly myopic as a child, about the dream, about the Olympics, this movie is both suitable and good-looking, and it is worth recommending.
Here I just want to say the 6 minutes of its opening credits. The protagonist, Eddie Edwards, dreams stemmed from a book he read as a child, "The Official Picture Book of the 1972 Olympic Games - Glorious Moments". The motivation that made Eddie more determined in his dream came from the fact that he wanted to prove to the doctor who advised him to give up sports: he could participate in the Olympics and have the highlight moments of his own life.
Stills from "Eddie the Eagle", little Eddie flipping through the Olympic album
The seeds of an Olympic dream were planted and sprouted day by day. Holding his breath from the bathtub to reaching his personal best in 58 seconds, he declared himself a "champion", limped on his left leg and went to Rome to participate in the Olympics, to constantly falling, breaking glasses, and constantly changing events to try. These have become the iconic actions of Eddie to continue to add bricks and tiles to his dreams, and they have become the most beautiful moments of his childhood. No one can stop his love of the Olympics, and he has only one goal in mind: to become an Olympic participant. Even after countless failures by his own mason father said, "You are not the material of being an athlete!" ”
The above short 6 minutes of the opening, the director handled almost perfectly, a large number of mid-shot, close-up, panning and shooting, pushing the lens language, coupled with the warm gradually become a passionate soundtrack, lining the warm tones, like a dream to set sail, as soon as the opening of the "home", "love", "dream" three elements are well connected. The theme of the film also slowly unfolds here. When Eddie removes the protective gear on her legs, a new life comes to her. Failure is the mother of success, Eddie from the initial desire to participate in the Summer Olympics, and then the coincidence of the project to the Winter Olympics, dynamic and smooth editing records his transformation from childhood to adulthood, but also let him complete the first self-redemption. This young man with skis on his feet and a ski pole in his hand has refined the rudiments of his dreams in the amateur "Olympic" test field. In this wonderful 6 minutes, there is the "most beautiful" Olympic ring symbol I have ever seen - the Olympic ring formed by Eddie with the stain on the tablecloth from the bottom of the cup, which is engraved in the heart of little Eddie, the dream of this family and this country.
Stills from Eddie the Eagle
Pay, harvest, record, in the years of Eddie's growth, in addition to a project of the Olympic Games, there is also a "treasure box" sent by his mother. This was supposed to be for Eddie to hold olympic medals, but who knows, it turned into a storage box full of glasses that he broke and smashed during practice. Of course, these broken glasses are also a testimony to his "never give up".
Stills from "Eddie the Eagle", broken glasses for training
A book, a dream, a persistent belief. As an adult, Eddie boldly stepped onto the stage again and again, soared in the air, and also experienced countless falls, and all the pain of failure and the joy of success were also presented in the later parts of the film. And Eddie finally interpreted the subtitle at the end of the film with his actions: "The most important thing in the Olympics is not to win or lose, but to participate." The most important thing in life is not victory, but all-out efforts – Pierre Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games, in 1896. ”
"I know I'll always be 'Eddie' and that's great because the Olympics are my dream. Believe me, it was a beautiful dream..." Here's a quote from a 2018 online interview with the British sports legend Michael David Edwards (full name). Today, the "eagle" born in 1963 in Cheltenham, a small city in Gloucestershire, England, is nearly old in reality. He was last seen in the public eye in 2021 as a dancer dressed as a yellow "rubber chicken" in the British version of the variety show "The Masked Dancer", and he is the fourth celebrity on the show to be unveiled. At the moment when his true identity is revealed, the subtitles show EDDIE The Eagle LegendARY SPORTSMAN (Legendary Athlete Flying Eagle Eddie).
Time flies, inside and outside the film, the life story of Eddie the Eagle continues.
I knew very little about ice and snow sports and the Winter Olympic Games, so I was moved by the characters and plots in the movie, so I began to pay attention to the competitions that the athletes at the Beijing Winter Olympics and the Winter Paralympic Games fought for with their lives, especially ski jumping. Today, in the field of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, whether it is the joy of being on the podium, or the sadness of regretting to quit the game, the encouragement and comfort of teammates, laughter and tears... This touching moment is the best presentation of the Olympic spirit, and it also ignites a small fire in my heart, which blends with the pictures in the movie, as if to ask: What is in the "treasure box" of your life? (Editor-in-charge: Sun Xiaoning)