France’s opening ceremony for the 2024 Olympics opened with the celebration of one of the obscenest episodes in human history and then went on to maintain the theme of social disjuncture and disintegration.

And they did it with typical Gallic flair.

The mean grey rainy weather was a suitable background.

A strange faceless figure featured throughout the long depressing ceremony to emphasize the disjuncture and disintegration.

Congratulations France.

The only relief came after more than an hour with the parade of boats carrying the national teams.