Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Run For Glory
Chariots Of Fire tells the dual real life stories of two runners in 1920's Great Britain who overcame obstacles in life to win gold medals at the 1924 Paris Olympics. Ben Cross is Harold Abrams a Jew whose background has made him doubly determined to become the fastest runner in the world. He carries a grudge against society and not only does he race to beat his competitors, but the world as well. He is unrelenting and second place is not an option. He goes to Cambridge and makes friends with fellow runners Aubrey Montague and Lord Andrew Lindsay. Ian Charleston is Eric Liddell a Scotsman who is the son of a religious missionary. He runs not out of a desire to be the best as Abrams does, but because he feels God's pleasure. He says to his disapproving sister that God made him fast for a reason and when he runs he is praising His glory. Abrams and Liddell face off in a race in the middle of the film and Liddell prevails. This haunts Abrams as he had never lost before and he enlists the aid of a professional coach, played by Ian Holm, to train him. Mr. Holm plays the role as a delightful curmudgeon and adds a little levity to the film. Both men, as well as Lindsey and Montague, make the Olympic team. There is some controversy as Liddell finds out the preliminaries for the 200 yard dash which he is competing in are taking place on the Sabbath. He refuses to race, as it is a sin, thus sparking trouble. Lord Lindsay jumps to rescue, giving up his spot in the 400 as he already won his medal in the hurdles. The film took some heat for this bit of poetic license as in real live, Liddell knew of the situation weeks before the Olympics and the change was made well in advance of the race without the all the fervor the film depicts. That aside, the movie is a gripping, engrossing story of two seemingly different men, who in the end have more in common than we think. It shows personal triumphs in spite of shackles that would hold lesser men down. The film won a surprising 1981 Best Picture Oscar over the heavily favored Reds as well as one for Vangelis' memorable score (the main title became a number one hit for Vangelis in 1982). Just as in real life, the film overcame many obstacles to obtain the ultimate prize in movies.
Rating: - The Brilliant Resurgence Of The British Movie Industry
The time is 1924. The finest athletes of England have begun their quest for glory in the Olympic Games. Their success will win honor for their nation - but for two champion runners, the honor at stake is a personal one...and their challenge one from within.Chariots Of fire tells the exciting, inspiring true story of Harold Abrahams, Eric Liddell, and the dedicated team of competitors who brought Great Britain one of her most legendary victories in international sports. It is also the film that marked the brilliant resurgence of the British movie industry - and won four 1981 Academy Awards - including Best Picture. Virtually a succession of smashing debuts, which it proved to be for Ben Cross, Ian Charleson, Nigel Havers, Nicholas Farrell, Alice Krige, Jeremy Sinden, and Daniel Gerroll in their first major film roles, and Hugh Hudson (a veteran of British Television)directing his first theatrical feature. With such other wonderful talents by veteran actors Sir Ian Holm, Sir John Gielgud, Lindsay Anderson, and Nigel Davenport, the collective people together shaped a film whose impact is still lasting and unique. From its bracing footage of competition and pagentry, to the haunting image of the English runners on the beach, to the extraordinary music score by Vangelis, Chariots Of Fire has left its mark on film fans everywhere. It also has proven that British filmmakers and film crews are the best, and only the best, in the world. If you are looking for the finest in entertainment, art films, or otherwise, you need not look any furthur than Chariots Of Fire. The finest of the United Kingdom of Great Britain.
Rating: - WHAT MAKES LIDDELL AND ABRAHAMS RUN...
This is a beautiful film, well directed by Hugh Hudson in his theatrical film debut. It features the true life story of two Olympic runners, Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson) and Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross), who ran for Great Britain in the 1924 Olympic Games and brought home the Gold.The film tells the story of these two individuals, who are as different from each other as different can be, and explores their personal drive and reasons for running. Eric Liddell is a staunch Scot and a fervid Presbyterian (He would put John Knox to shame!). The son of a missionary and himself a missionary by avocation, he runs because "God made him fast for a reason". His running is a reconciliation of his faith and his passion, which is running. He runs for the glory of God. His faith always remains constant and pre-eminent in his life. His devotion to it causes some controversy during the Olympics, as a consequence of the stance he takes when he discovers that the preliminary mete for the 200 metre race would be held on a Sunday. Liddell simply refuses to run on the Sabbath! Luckily for Great Britain, Lord Andrew Lindsay (Nigel Havers), a gentleman and fellow competitor, graciously steps in and, as he had already won a gold medal in the hurdles, gives him his place in the 400 metre dash, which would take place on a Thursday. This would never happen today in the dog eat dog world of competetive sports, much less in the Olympics of today! Harold Abrahams is completely different. A secular Jew and Cambridge scholar, he studies in the bastion of upper crust British society, struggling to fit in but always remaining the proverbial outsider. He has a passion for running that is motivated by his passion for winning. In his world, God has nothing to do with it. Winning is merely an affirmation of himself in a world that he believes thinks less of him because he is a Jew. Consequently, his desire to win is superceded only by his fear of losing. When two Cambridge dons, the Master of Trinity, played by the late John Gielgud, along with the Master of Caius, meet with Abrahams, they are concerned that his hiring of a personal professional trainer, Sam Mussabini (Ian Holm), to help him with his running is not quite in keeping with the amateur tradition of the Cambridge gentleman. Implicit in their criticism is an undercurrent of anti-Semitism, one to which Abrahams does not take kindly. It is that moment that defines what makes Abrahams run. This is ultimately a story about faith. With Liddell, it is about his faith in God. With Abrahams, it is about his faith in himself. Both were propelled to Olympic glory by it. It is a story sublimely told, though a little slow at times. It is not an action type of sports movie. It speaks gently of a time long passed, when the Olympics was truly the bastion of amateurs. It is amazing to see track events of the Olympics of 1924 depicted in all their simplicity...no flash, no glitz, no gimmicks. The runners ran on dirt tracks. They all carried spades in which to dig their footholds for their starting "blocks", something that surprised me. This attention to detail permeates the entire film, and its evocation of a bygone era makes the film linger in one's memory long after it has ended. Ian Charleson gives a notable performances as Eric Liddell, infusing him with a gentleness and purity of spirit that is compelling, while Ben Cross plays Harold Abrahams with an intensity and singularity of purpose that is riveting. Their stellar performances, as well as those given by the excellent supporting cast, coupled with exquisite cinematography and the excellent direction of Hugh Hudson, make this film worthy of its 1981 Academy Award for Best Picture. The beautiful and soaring, synthesized music of Vangelis also won an Academy Award and went on to become a number one hit in the pop charts in 1982.
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