This is an unusual documentary in that it resists the temptation to exalt the winners. In the gymnastic competition, for example, neither Olga Korbut nor... Nelli Kim look their best, and the brilliant young talent, Nadia Comăneci, is hardly glorified. Finland's Lase Virén won gold in both the 5,000 and 10,000 metres, as he had done in Munich, but the film dwells more on his performance in the Marathon, where he finishes fifth. Labrecque and his team excel in showing behind-the-scenes footage – preparations for the cycling team pursuit, for example, or the emotional triumph of Bruce Jenner (now Caitlyn Jenner) in the decathlon.

Jean Beaudin, Marcel Carrière, Georges Dufaux | 118' | 1977 | 2014 IOC Restored version