My review
The first part was me slack jawed gaping at how bad it was. It seemed like a few scores of people showed up at the river front, then a poundland Lady Gaga did a poor performance (shocked to learn afterwards it was actually lady gaga) followed by the worst can-can I've seen in a long time.
The show only took off when Gojira set things afire, a huge boat floated across the building (no idea what that's about) and a headless Marie Antoinette holding her own head while singing. What a fecking way to show off your revolutionary history.
From there, the show was grand, the river worked better as the sun went down and soon enough transitioned into the kind of rave party everyone would want to be there for. An extravaganza of decadence, art, transgression, party and avantgarde that basically showed that France never forgot how to have a good time whilst sticking it to the establishment.
Performing Imagine at a flaming piano was a nice bit of commentary that bohemian ideals may seem outdated in the jaded late stage capitalist 20s, but there is still a poignant ideal there to recall.
The good times lasted up until the first few minutes of the dude on the metal horse going down the river. Which turned into subjective hours. Then hours more of speeches. Followed by hours of carrying the torch. feck me, we all grew old in the latter stages of the show. Somewhere in there Zidane and Nadal popped up and died of old age before they finished the ceremony. The ending was cool, although not worth sticking it out for. The lights show on the Eiffel Tower was amazing. Having the Olympic flame floating over the skyline of Paris is very cool. Should have happened at least an hour earlier though.
Just begin the games already ffs.
