The early 1970s were a time of radical change in the movie business. Until then, the producer had been the single most important person on any film set, the alpha and omega of all decision-making. But in this new decade, power shifted to the director, who became freer to implement his or her own artistic vision. It is in this context that 1973’s Visions of Eight was created, as Hollywood producer and documentarian David Wolper assembled an international cast of top directors to create short films about the 1972 Munich Olympics. Combined to make one feature film, Visions of Eight was given middling reviews on its original release but has now been given new life thanks to a rerelease by the Criterion Collection.
More an impressionistic art film about sport than a true documentary, Visions of Eight consists of eight vignettes, each helmed by a different director who focused on...
