Bud Greenspan shot a total of almost two hundred hours of film at the twenty-one venues of the Games held at Los Angeles in 1984. In this overview lasting two hours and twenty-five minutes he has created an exciting and involving glimpse of the tragedies and triumphs of the XXIII Olympiad.
One of the events slighted by television coverage was the decathlon competition. In 16 Days of Glory, Greenspan focuses on the battle for supremacy between Daley Thompson of Great Britain and Juergen Hingsen of West Germany. These events are very cinematic and colorful, and they look wonderful on a large screen.
Of course, Greenspan covers Mary Lou Retton's triumph in gymnastics competition over Romania's Ecaterina Szabo and the stunning victory of Joan Benoit in the women's marathon. Best of all, though, are the heroic efforts of three physically hobbled athletes who gave their best despite injuries: Japanese judo champ Yashurido Yamashita, British runner Dave Moorcraft, and United States swimmer John Moffett. Although Placido Domingo's vocal interpretation of Verdi's "Hymn to the Nations" on the soundtrack is stirring and dramatic, it is these touching moments that make 16 Days of Glory something special to be experienced.