<p> Last time London hosted the Olympics, in 1948, there was no made-for-TV spectacle to open the gamesalthough it was televised for those few who owned a set. Just staging the Olympics was difficult in a country broke (but not broken) from World War II. London was still in ruins from the Nazi blitz and the citizens made due on rations of spam and boiled potatoes. </p> <p><em>Going for Gold: The '48 Games</em> (out on DVD) dramatizes the true story of Britain's odd couple scull team, the working class Bert Bushnell (Matt Smith) and the posh Dickie Burnell (Sam Hoare). Perhaps rowing is more difficult material for thrilling cinema than foot races (<em>Chariots of Fire</em>, anyone?) but <em>Going for Gold</em> focuses convincingly on overcoming class conflicts between team members and generational misunderstandings between generations. At the '48 Olympics, winning at all costs was not yet a universally accepted value. </p>
