Chariots of Fire - 4 Stars (Excellent)
As a former record-setting championship runner, it is normal and natural for me to proclaim "Chariots of Fire" as simply the greatest running movie every made. What is strange is famed movie critic Roger Ebert's reaction to this film classic.
"I have no interest in running and am not a partisan in the British class system," says Ebert. "Then why should I have been so deeply moved by 'Chariots of Fire', a British film that has running and class as its subjects? Like many great films, Chariots of Fire takes its nominal subjects as occasions for much larger statements about human nature."
"Chariots of Fire" Is Very Simply the Greatest Running Movie Ever Made
Ebert is drawn to Chariots of Fire like a bee to honey. He cannot resist the powerful presentation of this true story about two men of principles and integrity that use running as a magnet to attract followers to their cause.
One is Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross), a British man to the core and a Jew whose father is an immigrant and financier from Lithuania. The other is Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson), a Scot who is the son of missionaries in China. Both have the God-given gift of speed and seek to bring home medals from the 1924 Paris Olympics.
Abrahams feels the sting of discrimination because of his Jewish heritage and runs for the glory of Britain and the acceptance that he believes will make him whole; there is no question he is worthy. Aubrey Montague (Nicholas Farrell) is his close friend and confidant.
"You, Aubrey, are my most complete man," says Abrahams. "You're brave, compassionate, kind: a content man. That is your secret, contentment. I am 24 and I've never known it. I'm forever in pursuit and I don't even know what I am chasing."
Abrahams is driven by his quest for a gold medal in the 100-meter dash. He will let nothing come between him and his goal, even the love of his life Sybil Gordon (Alice Krige). He enters Cambridge University and quickly becomes a campus standout by becoming the first person to successfully run around the Trinity Great Court from the first toll until the clock strikes 12. His competition is Lord Andrew Lindsay (Nigel Havers) who pushes him to glory.
Abrahams tells his friend Aubrey Montague that he has never been beaten in competition. When he faces Eric Liddell for the first time he loses, and his immaturity surfaces when he declares to Sybil Gordon that "If I can't win, I won't run!" Sybil replies, "If you don't run, you can't win."
Fortunately, the famous trainer Sam Mussabini (Ian Holm) is at the race and tells Abrahams he is over striding and points out that over striding is the kiss of death for a sprinter. He reluctantly agrees to coach Abrahams so he can beat Liddell in the 100 meters.
Sam Mussabini tells Abrahams that Liddell is a fast gut runner who digs deep, but reminds him that a short sprint is run on nerves, and then adds that it's tailor-made for neurotics.
Eric Liddell is more than fast, he is one of the fastest runners anywhere, a fact that is about to be demonstrated to the world in the Olympic games. Liddell is self-assured and confident and unlike, Abrahams, runs for the greater glory of God.
When his missionary sister Jennie Liddell (Cheryl Campbell) fears his focus will be lost on running, Eric replies that "I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel his pleasure."
In the Olympic games, both Abrahams and Liddell will clash with two very fast Americans, Charles Paddock-the world record holder in the 100 meters-and Jackson Scholz-a 200-meter sprinter.
When Eric Liddell learns that the preliminaries for the 100-meter dash will be run on Sunday, he refuses to compete. When confronted by the British Olympic Committee and Lord Cadogan reprimands him for his impertinence, Liddell replies that "The impertinence lies, sir, with those who seek to influence a man to deny his beliefs!"
At the 11th hour and 59th minute, Lord Andrew Lindsey intervenes with a solution: Since he has already won a bronze medal in the 200-meter race, let Liddell replace him in the 400-meter dash.
Liddell is then seen at church delivering a guest sermon and quotes the Bible prophetically from Isaiah, Chapter 40, Verse 31: "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint" (King James Version).
Chariots of Fire has an unknown cast with spectacular photography and music as well as many running scenes.
Roger Ebert keys in on the musical score, calling it "one of the most remarkable sound tracks of any film" with music by the Greek composer Vangelis. "His compositions... are as evocative, and as suited to the material, as the different but also perfectly matched scores (as) 'Zorba the Greek'."
Vangelis' use of an electronic score may have been ill-suited to a period piece like Chariots of Fire, but it worked beyond anyone's expectations, creating a new style in film scoring. He played all of the instruments, including synthesizers, acoustic piano, battery and percussion.
Against this nostalgic backdrop the movie opens with Lord Andrew Lindsey delivering the eulogy for Harold Abahams funeral:
"Let us praise famous men and our fathers that begat us. All these men were honored in their generations and were a glory in their days. We are here today to give thanks for the life of Harold Abrahams. To honor the legend. Now there are just two of us-young
Aubrey Montague and myself-who can close our eyes and remember those few young men with hope in our hearts and wings on our heels."
From this incredible opening follows the flashback and the narration that recounts the challenges and glory of Great Britain's athletes at the 1924 Olympic Games. The next scene is the athletes running along the beach to what has become known as the Chariots of Fire theme that would later be released as a single in 1982 and top the charts in the United States.
In the end, Harold Abrahams would win the 100-meter dash, and would also win a silver medal as the opening leg (runner) on the 4x100 relay team. Eric Liddell-the Flying Scotsman-would win the 400-meter dash in an Olympic record 47.6 seconds, and also picked up a bronze medal in the 200-meter dash, won by Jackson Scholz with Charles Paddock second.
Among many poignant moments in Chariots of Fire is Eric Liddell at the starting line of the 400-meter dash and Jackson Scholz, who was not competing in the race, hands him a written note of text from the Bible. The quotation was from 1st Samuel, 2nd Chapter. Verse 30, "Those who honor me I will honor." Liddell ran the 400 meters with the note in his hand and set an Olympic record.
Abrahams would marry his sweetheart and become the elder statesman of track and field in Britain. Liddell would return to China as a missionary with his physician brother Rob and ultimately be imprisoned during the Chinese-Japanese War in 1942.
Winston Churchill arranged for a prisoner exchange to get Liddell out of the camp (his family had left China before the hostilities started) but Liddell-ever faithful to the end in serving others-gave up his place to a pregnant mother. He died of a brain tumor in 1945, 5 months before the camp was liberated. Even today, 64 years later, he is honored as Scotland's greatest athlete.
If you have a shred of integrity, principles, ethics, morals, honor, sensitivity or patriotism, you will love Chariots of Fire and be moved by its message.
If you do not, I cannot do anything for you but let you know that Chariots of Fire is more than the greatest running movie ever made, it is also one of the greatest films ever made.
Chariots of Fire, released in 1981, was a British film written by Colin Welland and directed by Hugh Hudson. It would draw moviegoers everywhere by winning 4 Oscars at the Academy Awards for Best Picture (Producer David Puttman), Best Original Screenplay (Colin Welland), Best Original Music Score (Vangelis) and Best Costume Design (Milena Canonero).
Chariots of Fire was also nominated for Oscars for Best Supporting Actor (Ian Holm as Sam Mussabini), Best Director (Hugh Hudson) and Best Film Editing (Terry Rawlings). It also had 12 other wins and 15 more nominations, including Best Foreign Film at the Golden Globe Awards.
Chariots of Fire remains among my list of the Top 10 films ever made. It passes my most stringent test of asking myself after seeing a film: Am I a better person for having seen this film? The answer is yes, a thousand times yes!
Even today, 26 years after seeing Chariots of Fire for the first time, I get goose bumps whenever I see it again.
Every time I see it I pull down my Cambridge Factfinder from my library shelf and stare at the 1924 Paris Olympic results. There I see three gold medal winners-Harold Abrahams of Great Britain in the 100-Meter Dash (10.6), Eric Liddell of Great Britain in the 400-Meter Dash (an Olympic record 47.6) and Douglas Lowe of Great Britain in the 800-Meter Run (1:52.4). Lowe was not in Colin Welland's script.
I think of that glorious time when some few ran with hope in their hearts and wings on their heels.
Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley
"Chariots of Fire" Is Very Simply the Greatest Running Movie Ever Made
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