Part One: http://badmoviehq.blogspot.com/2018/06/fifa-world-cup-intro-wars-bbc-vs-itv.html
Part Two: http://badmoviehq.blogspot.com/2018/06/fifa-world-cup-intro-wars-bbc-vs-itv_3.html
The final part of the ongoing battle between World Cup rivals BBC and ITV.
Germany 2006
ITV:
BBC:
Looking at the two, the title sequence for ITV is possibly better than BBC's but it really lets itself down with its music choice, a cover of David Bowie's 'Heroes' by Kasabian. The BBC had returned to its artsy roots with shots of German landmarks, ethereal players and Handel's 'See, the Conqueroring Hero Comes!'. No offence to Kasabian but the intro package should really show something to give a flavour of the host nation. As former ITV commentator Andy Townsend would say, 'Not for me, Clive.'
Winner: BBC
Overall: BBC 4-3 ITV
South Africa 2010
ITV:
BBC:
South Africa 2010 and not a vuvuzela in sight. Bliss. This was a damn tough one to call as both organisations 'got it.' This World Cup was more than just South Africa, this World Cup was for all of Africa. After rewatching both several times, I'm going to go with ITV as Vusi Mahlasela's 'When You Come Back' is just a bit more memorable than 'Rainbow Nation' on the BBC. Sing, sing Africa indeed.
Winner: ITV
Overall: BBC 4-4 ITV
Brazil 2014
ITV:
BBC:
Forwarding on four years and the World Cup is back in South America for the first time since 1978 and once more both sides got what the World Cup was about. ITV's effort appears at first glance to be more minimalist. Nice editing on the split screen but not over elaborate. That theme song though, anyone who tells you they didn't go to bed humming 'Bra-zil,..Brazil,..Bra-zillll!' is a liar. BBC's is similar in terms of style but with the usual artsy touches. Steven Gerrard as a plastic figurine is just weird though. Stevie Wonder's 'Another Star' arguably means the BBC effort lacks some authenticity so I have to just about give the edge to ITV.
Winner: ITV
Overall: BBC 4-5 ITV
Russia 2018
BBC:
Obviously, I can't call a winner on this one as ITV haven't revealed their opening sequence yet but the BBC's will likely be based around the above in what the BBC are already calling their 'most ambitious' title sequence ever' involving the creation of a 1200m tapestry which was then animated. ITV will need pull out something special to beat that.
As long as there is a World Cup, a BBC and an ITV this war will continue. ITV may hold the lead for now but who knows what the future may bring.
Part one here: http://badmoviehq.blogspot.com/2018/06/fifa-world-cup-intro-wars-bbc-vs-itv.html
Welcome to the second part of my review of World Cup coverage by Britain's two leading broadcasters (opinions are my own).
USA 94
ITV:
BBC:
The efforts of both companies at Italia '90 were great so inevitably at USA '94 they were both abysmal.
BBC went with the uninspiring choice of 'America' from West Side Story (because it's good to be reminded of how poorly treated immigrants are in America) and ITV went with...what the fuck is that? No, really, what is that? BBC's intro package was bad but ITV found the new circle of Hell with theirs.
Winner: BBC
Overall: BBC 2-2 ITV
France 1998
ITV:
BBC:
Tough call this one as they are both fine efforts. Do you prefer the more sophisticated, cultured, operatic quality of the Beeb or ITV's Euro-synth-pop vibe? I've got to go with the BBC on this one as the overall presentation of their intro package was just that bit better than ITV's.
Winner: BBC
Overall: BBC 3-2 ITV
Japan/Korea 2002
ITV:
BBC:
The first World Cup tournament to be held in Asia (and in two countries), so Oriental vibes were the order of the day. This saw a role reversal from France '98 as the BBC went with 'Tarantula' by dance music royalty Faithless whilst ITV opted for 'Un Bel Di' ('One Fine Day') from the opera Madame Butterfly. I will give this one to ITV because their intro sequence does a better overall job of catching the Far Eastern flavour of the tournament.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia is just 12 days away and excitement is hitting fever pitch.
A bit of a break from the norm on this blog, but with each World Cup it also brings the quadrennial battle between the BBC and ITV to have the best coverage. More specifically, the best theme and intro package. So why not take a look back at some and decide who was the winner?
Spain, 1982
Why start with Spain? No reason, its completely arbitrary but gotta start somewhere.
ITV:
BBC:
Both are pretty generic but I've got to give the edge to the Beeb for being slightly less generic in its imagery. However, there is no way my inner fanboy is ever going to let Andrew Lloyd Webber have the win over Jeff Wayne so I'm going with ITV.
Winner: ITV
Overall: BBC 0-1 ITV
Mexico 1986
ITV:
BBC:
A tough call this one. In terms of presentation, BBC wins hands down with all the Aztec imagery but the music is shite. Over on ITV though, it's hard to look past 'Aztec Gold', that would become the main theme tune for 'Saint and Greavise' until their run ended in 1992. I've got to give ITV the edge on this one too.
Winner: ITV
Overall: BBC 0-2 ITV
Italy 1990
ITV:
BBC:
No contest on this one. The ITV effort is actually pretty damn good but think of Italia '90 and almost immediately you can see Gazza's tears with Luciano Pavarotti singing 'Nessun Dorma' (translation: 'none shall sleep') over the top. A win for Auntie.
Ever since I first looked at the list of the films, this was
the one that jumped out. As a big football fan, it was inevitable I’d have to
watch this film at some point. A film made for $30 million but returned just
$607 at the box office. A film that star Tim Roth described as ‘a crap movie I
did for the money.’
In part a FIFA biopic, in others a biopic of one Joseph
‘Sepp’ Blatter. At time of writing, Mr Blatter is up to his eyeballs in
allegations of corruption, receiving illegal payments and new charges coming
seemingly every day. If you’re reading this in the future, he may be sitting in
a prison cell right now or he may have got away scot-free (though personally,
my money is on the former).
I’ll fill in the early part of the movie but if you want to
know, 56:34 is when Blatter comes into it.
It starts in 1904, with the coming together of the heads of
various football variations across the world to form a global governing body of
football. An invitation to join is given to the English FA but as the inventors
of the game, they turn up their noses at the chance to join this little
organisation. The English are probably the closest this film has to villains,
being portrayed as arrogant, snobbish, racist and sexist. Which to be fair, may
well have been true of the gentlemen in question.
The group is formed anyway, taking the name ‘Federation of
International Football Associations’ (it is implied the ‘Football Association’
part of the name was a deliberate slight against the English FA). It is
actually interesting to see throughout the film how FIFA grew from one small
room in Paris to the vast, lavish headquarters it now has in Zurich.
Skip on a few years and we meet now President of FIFA, Jules
Rimet played by Gerard Depardieu. This covers the period between 1924-1950. It
starts with Rimet’s attempts to launch the first World Cup tournament in
Uruguay. They present it as fairly straightforward here but in reality it was
fairly shambolic with countries withdrawing (only 13 out of 24 invited took
part) and stadiums barely finished on time. Heck that would make for a film of
itself.
It’s a success but FIFA is still considered a small time
organisation at this point and limps along. Tensions rise throughout the
Thirties between Rimet and the Italian and German delegates as real world
politics threaten to tear the world apart.
Skip forward to 1942, and they tell what is known in
football folklore as the ‘Death Match’. It’s the story of a Ukranian youth side
in Kiev who played a team of German soldiers. They were supposed to lose the
game but ended up winning the game 5-3 to the delight of the watching crowd.
The Ukranian players were believed to have been executed soon after. Much of
this is now believed to be myth but what is true is that it showed the power
sport can have as an inspiration for an oppressed people. On a lighter note, it
was the inspiration for Escape to Victory
(though that is actually a more brutal film than many remember. Irish
international Kevin O’Callaghan deliberately breaking his own arm anyone?).
Happier times come with the 1950 World Cup in Brazil. This
is Rimet’s last World Cup as FIFA president, though he still has time to thank
the English for ‘joining our little organisation’. Which is a nice call back to
an earlier conversation. Or at least it would be if Rimet had actually been
present for that conversation.
And this is where the film should have ended. This should
have been the film, the life of Jules Rimet, the visionary who launched a
tournament nobody thought would succeed, ending in front of a crowd of over
100,000 people at the Macarena stadium in Brazil with millions more following
the game around the globe. It’s a shame about everything that follows, as the
first half of this film is actually really good.
There is a bit of filler until we reach the year 1974, when
we have our main event. Enter Sepp Blatter (Tim Roth) and the film becomes his
vanity piece.
The FIFA president is now Joao Havelange, Blatter’s mentor
and a man some believe to have been even more corrupt. He’s played by Sam
Neill, who speaks with a Brazilian-Portuguese accent whenever he remembers to.
FIFA is in trouble, they are losing money. Only one man can
save them: Super-Sepp! You see, he has an ‘ability for finding money’ (films
words). He can ‘create new revenue streams’ (films words).
See how Super-Sepp saves the world of football as he:
-Brings football to Africa and Asia
-Saves FIFA brokering deals with Adidas and Coca-Cola,
just by asking for it
-Tackles corruption in FIFA by not actually doing
anything
Now to give Blatter his dues, in his time as FIFA Secretary
General and later President, football has grown massively in Africa and Asia.
Women’s football is the biggest it’s ever been. Whether Blatter can take as
much personal credit as he does here though is highly questionable.
FIFA is more profitable now than it’s ever been but again that’s
more down to its business practices where the host country of a World Cup pay
all the costs but FIFA take all the profits.
And corruption. Blatter talks big about corruption in the film,
how the gravy train is over but again, he doesn’t actually do anything about
it. Maybe this was the film-makers subtle hint to the audience that Blatter is
either a liar or an idiot.
Corruption within FIFA was the world’s biggest open-secret,
everyone in football knew about it. Where they went wrong though, was screwing
over the USA for the 2018 World Cup. Screwing over little European nations is
fine but you don’t fuck with America. God bless you, America!
All that remains to be seen is how much Blatter was
personally involved.
The film, first half was good but very poor display in the
second half. Substituting Rimet for Blatter was a bad idea. The boy Blatter was
brought on to be a hero but at the end of the day, his performance left much to
be desired.
