Chance’s review published on Letterboxd:
Film #19 of 100 Years of Olympic Films: 1912 - 2012
Not since Olympia has an Olympic film taken steps forward in technique or style, but The Melbourne Rendezvous finally breaks that streak of mediocrity. Overall, The Melbourne Rendezvous is a quirky document of the 1956 Summer Games, interestingly directed by Frenchman René Lucot, that really reminds me of the more experimental Olympic films that sprouted up in the '60s and '70s, namely Tokyo Olympiad and Visions of Eight. While The Melbourne Rendezvous does offer some routine event coverage, it concentrates more on providing an intimate portrait of the athletes on and off the field. We get to see them practicing, flirting, "undressing", warming up, and just taking in the local culture. It's so, so refreshing. Oh, and we're also treated to some jazz during the climatic marathon sequence. Sweet!
