The countdown to the start of the opening ceremony is projected across the stands while the Royal Air Force aerobatic team, the Red Arrows, flies over the Olympic Stadium. The opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games was held on Friday, July 27. Check out photos from the closing ceremony.
Hong Kong (CNN) -- The world watched, as the London 2012 Olympic Games opened with director Danny Boyle's elaborate ode to England, and furiously tapped their reaction on social media.
But one comment on Twitter has sparked a political fracas on the home soil of the games, as a British member of Parliament lamented the "multi-cultural crap" of the £27 million ($42.4 million) ceremony.
Entitled "Isle of Wonder," Boyle -- the Oscar-winning director best known for hit movies "Trainspotting" and "Slumdog Millionaire" -- put together a star-studded on-field dramatization that drew on Shakespeare and Brit Pop to chart Britain from its pastoral roots through the Industrial Revolution to James Bond, Harry Potter and the Beatles.
"The most leftie opening ceremony I have ever seen -- more than Beijing, the capital of a communist state! Welfare tribute next?" wrote Aidan Burley, a Conservative Party MP who was fired as a ministerial aide in David Cameron's government after revelations he attended a Nazi-themed stag party in France last year.
"Thank God the athletes have arrived! Now we can move on from leftie multi-cultural crap. Bring back red arrows, Shakespeare and the Stones!" he added minutes later.
Olympic athletes light up social media
Olympic athletes light up social media
Queen Elizabeth opens London Games
Fireworks lit up sky at Olympics opening
Preventing 7/7 style attack at Olympics
Burley backpedaled after the strong online backlash against his comments, posting: "Seems my tweet has been misunderstood. I was talking about the way it was handled in the show, not multiculturalism itself."
Queen opens the London 2012 Olympics
There was a great deal of comparison being drawn between the London ceremony and the 2008 Beijing Olympics. @legallyblondekf wrote: "Ha! London sees your zillion drummers drumming in unison and raises you a deaf drummer. Your move China," referring to deaf Scottish percussionist Evelyn Glennie leading drummers during the London ceremony.
Like London, a pre-eminent director -- Zhang Yimou, director of films such as the 1991 film "Raise the Red Lantern" and more recently "The Flowers of War," starring Christian Bale -- choreographed the Beijing ceremony.
"(London's) opening ceremony was a far cry from Beijing's. Even the director of the London Olympics ceremony complained of the budget being too small, having only 27 million pounds," user Haluo-yuan wrote on Sina Weibo, the largest micro-blogging site in China, where state censors block Twitter. "There's no comparison with the formidable China."
China's best Olympic hopes in London
Still, commentators on Sina Weibo were largely complimentary of the London ceremony -- although many complained about getting up at 4 a.m. in China to watch the event live.
"London's Olympic opening ceremony certainly was interesting, but it can't be said that it was superior to Beijing's. It can only be said that each had its merits," wrote Zhang Yiwu, a professor at Peking University with 3 million followers on Sina Weibo.
"Beijing's Olympics and its immense grandeur were hosted by a developing country, by a country that had never hosted the Olympics before," he added. "Now, we can relax but must also understand to strive for new heights of dignity. There's no need for contentious feeling. Each has its own beauty."
Ai Weiwei, the Chinese artist and activist, helped design the iconic Bird's Nest stadium for the 2008 Beijing Olympics before he fell afoul with authorities and is now under house arrest on tax evasion charges. He wrote Saturday: "The London opening ceremony is free, relaxed and touching, smoothly switching between different time and space, expressing confidence. It's the festival of modern citizens."
Athletes themselves were posting from inside the London arena, such as LeBron James, the three-time NBA MVP who is playing for the U.S. basketball team. James was up late into the night feeding images to Instagram from his view of the ceremony inside the stadium. "Me with one of the best the game of basketball has to offer," he wrote, tweeting a photo alongside U.S. teammate Kobe Bryant.
Decoded: Boyle's Olympic spectacular
Indeed, the real-time social media scrum seemed to take some of the fun out of the ceremony for viewers in the U.S., where the broadcast on NBC was tape-delayed to run during prime time hours. Gareth M. Skarka @gmskarka wrote: "Hey @NBCOlympics -- there's still #openingceremony occurring. You already tape-delayed it. Howsabout letting us watch it, not interviews?"
Added Charles Johnson @Lizardoid: "NBC News in LA is still stubbornly pretending the Olympics opening ceremony is just beginning."
After the ceremony, director Boyle tweeted: "Thank you, everyone, for your kind words! Means the world to me.
"Proud to be British."
CNN's Alexis Lai, CY Xu and Hilary Whiteman contributed to this report
© 2013 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Spectators take shelter under umbrellas prior to the start of the opening ceremony.
A man wearing glasses waits for the start of the opening ceremony.
A balloon flies over spectators prior to the opening ceremony.
Spectators wait under the rain before the ceremony.
The Red Arrows fly over Olympic Stadium before the opening ceremony.
A robotic camera captures an overview of the Olympic Stadium at the start of the London 2012 Opening Ceremony.
Performers prepare for the opening ceremony.
The Red Arrows fly over the Olympic Stadium and the ArcelorMittal Orbit Tower.
Danny Boyle, the London 2012 artistic director, addresses the audience.
The Red Arrows disappear over London ahead of the opening ceremony.
Bradley Wiggins, the first British winner of the Tour De France cycle race, waves to the audience.
A young performer holds a balloon bearing the Olympic rings.
A young performer holds a balloon.
Artists take the field for the meadow scene.
Artists arrive before the start of the opening ceremony.
Fans take photos as cows are lead across the stadium floor.
Artists arrive in a horse and carriage.
Actors perform during the British meadow scene.
Performers depict a view of the English countryside.
Performers depict a view of the English countryside.
Cricketers play on the pitch during the preshow.
Actors perform during the British meadow scene.
The London Symphony Orchestra performs during the opening ceremony.
Artists perform during the opening ceremony.
Artists perform during the opening ceremony.
A general view of the inside of the stadium during the opening ceremony.
Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, at the start of the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony.
General view taken during a scene of The Age of Industry.
Huge chimneys emerge from the ground to symbolize the industrial revolution.
An inflatable yellow submarine floats above artists.
Inflatable yellow submarines float above artists during The Age of Industry scene.
Spectators watch the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, attends the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games on Friday.
A general view of Olympic Stadium during the opening ceremony.
Actors perform during the British meadow scene during the opening ceremony.
Kenneth Branagh performs as Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
Artists perform as the sun sets in the background.
The sun sets behind performers.
Drummers dressed in period garb perform during the opening ceremony.
Performers drum during the Opening Ceremony.
Artists perform during the opening ceremony.
Drummers during the opening ceremony.
Actors perform during the industrial revolution scene.
A general view of the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The Olympic rings form.
Artists perform during the opening ceremony.
The Olympic rings are assembled above the stadium in a scene depicting the Industrial Revolution.
Freshly "forged" Olympic Rings fly above the chimneys during The Age of Industry scene.
Olympic rings are assembled.
An actor dressed to resemble Britain's Queen Elizabeth II parachutes into the stadium.
People wave Union flags during the opening ceremony.
Artists dressed in costumes perform.
Performers with jetpacks take part in the opening ceremony.
An actor dressed to resemble Britain's Queen Elizabeth II parachutes into the stadium during the opening ceremony.
Queen Elizabeth II, right, and Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee, attend the ceremony.
Actors and dancers play Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital staff and patients.
Performers from the GOSH, Great Ormond Street Hospital, perform during the opening ceremony.
An artist flies over children and nurses during the Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital scene.
Actors perform during the opening ceremony.
Dancers perform in the GOSH and NHS scene.
Children perform a song.
Giant puppets depicting Lord Voldemort, center, from the Harry Potter books and the Child Catcher from "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" swirl around the stage in the opening ceremony.
Lord Voldemort looms over the opening ceremony.
Spectators wearing 3-D glasses during the opening ceremony.
An artist performs during the opening ceremony.
General view taken as actors perform during the opening ceremony.
Giant pictures depicting villains of British literature, including Captain Hook from "Peter Pan," are displayed during the opening ceremony.
An actor dressed as Mary Poppins performs in the GOSH and NHS scene.
Performers float with umbrellas as they play the role of Mary Poppins.
General view taken as actors perform during the opening ceremony.
Dancers perform during the opening ceremony.
British actor Rowan Atkinson in his role as Mr. Bean plays in the orchestra.
A broad view of the opening ceremony.
Performers dance to British music spanning the decades.
A general view of the opening ceremony.
Artists perform during the opening ceremony.
An artist performs with a glowing pacifier during the opening ceremony.
A performer in a giant ball is passed around during the opening ceremony.
Dancers perform under a "setting sun" in a scene dramatizing the struggle between life and death.
General view of performers during the opening ceremony.
Dancers perform in a scene dramatizing the struggle between life and death.
Artists perform during the opening ceremony.
Performers dance during the opening ceremony.
Artists perform during the opening ceremony.
Artists perform during the opening ceremony.
A parachutist lands outside the Olympic Stadium.
Artists wearing wings and riding bicylces perform during the ceremony.
The Olympic stadium lit up in red and blue during the opening ceremony.
Members of the Australia team parde into the stadium.
Members of Brazil's delegation hold their national flag as they walk during the opening ceremony.
Simon Whitfield of the Canada Olympic triathlon team carries his country's flag.
Canadian athletes enter the stadium.
Chinese athletes enter the stadium.
Croatia's delegation parades during the opening ceremony.
Athletes parade during the opening ceremony.
Members of India's delegation parade in the opening ceremony.
A member of India's delegation takes a picture as he parades during the opening ceremony.
Ali Mazaheri of the Iran Olympic boxing team carries his country's flag.
Members of Iran's delegation parade during the opening ceremony.
Usain Bolt leads the Jamaican Olympic team around the stadium.
Reigning Olympic men's 100-meter and 200-meter champion Usain Bolt of Jamaica carries his country's flag.
An image of Jamaica's track star Usain Bolt, currently the world's fastest man, is projected on The Houses of Parliament in London.
Natascha Keller of the German Olympic hockey team carries her country's flag during the opening ceremony.
Song-Chol Pak of the North Korea Olympic team carries his country's flag.
Athletes parade during the opening ceremony.
Philippine Van Aanholt, an independent Olympic athlete, parades during the opening ceremony
Mariel Zagunis of the United States Olympic fencing team carries her country's flag.
Fencer Mariel Zagunis leads the U.S. Olympic team around the stadium.
An image of British Olympic champion Jonathan Edwards is projected on the Houses of Parliament .
Members of the Britain's delegation parade wave.
British spectators cheer as they attend the opening ceremony.
Fireworks explode from the top of Tower Bridge.
Fireworks go off from Tower Bridge.
Fireworks light up Tower Bridge.
Fireworks are displayed at Tower Bridge.
David Beckham passes under Tower Bridge driving a speedboat named "Max Power," which carries the Olympic Torch.
Torchbearer Sir Steve Redgrave hands the Olympic flame over to the seven young athletes who represent Britain's hopes for the next Olympics.
The young athletes carry the Olympic glame.
The Olympic flame is carried into the stadium.
The Olympic flame burns in the cauldron.
The Olympic flame is seen in the stadium during the ceremony.
Participants look on as the Olympic flame burns in the cauldron.
Fireworks over the Olympic Stadium.
Fireworks burst above the stadium during the opening ceremony.
Fireworks cast a purple glow over the Olympic Stadium.
Fireworks explode from the stadium roof.
Fireworks ignite over the Olympic Stadium.
People cheer as they watch the opening ceremony on an outdoor screen at Piccadilly Circus.
Fireworks light up the Olympic Stadium and the night sky.
Fireworks over the Olympic Stadium.
Fireworks illuminate the sky in a fiery rainbow of color.
Fireworks go off over the Olympic Stadium at the official opening of the 2012 Games.
Danny Boyle, the director of the opening ceremony, reacts to the show.
Fireworks form a fiery ring over the Olympic Stadium.
General view as fireworks illuminate the sky during the opening ceremony.
Fireworks are let off over the Olympic stadium
Sir Paul McCartney performs during the opening ceremony.
Fireworks light up the sky during the opening ceremony. Check out photos from the 
|