Chariots of Fire (1981)

Chariots of Fire (1981)

When the opening notes of Vangelis’s iconic theme appeared in the very first scene of 1981’s Chariots of Fire, I knew we were in for something special when I felt chills going down my spine. I put this movie in the echelon of great films because this movie meant so much and by the end, I had tears rolling down my cheek as I sat in stunned silence mesmerized by what I saw. People view the movie as a sports film, but it is way more than that. The movie is set with running in the 1924 Olympics, but it takes it on in a more spiritual, inspirational way. It is about the drive and determination of what it takes to be the very best. The two main runners portrayed-Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams want to win for different, inspirational reasons and not because they want to be the best runners in the world (although they were).

Director Hugh Hudson and producer David Puttnam when through painstaking research and casting to make this movie the way it is. Puttnam wanted to create an inspirational story in the veins of 1966’s The Man of All Seasons and thought something in the world of sports would allow him to do so. He randomly stumbled upon the story of Eric Liddell (yes, this a true authentic story) and immediately knew this was the story he wanted to tell.

The movie begins after the end of the first World War. It focuses on two very fast runners-Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson) and Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross). Harold is a Lithuanian Jew and he leads a decent life at Cambridge. But he lives in a society that is rather anti-Semitic. He uses his speed to show the world his worth and to prove Jewish people are not the people the world makes them out to be. Eric, son of Christian missionaries, was born in China. He is a devout member of the Church of Scotland and wants to use his gift of speed as a way to spread the word of God. Their lives will intersect at the 1924 Olympics where they will be faced with the ultimate test with the Americans Jackson Scholz (Brad Davis) and Charles Paddock (Dennis Christopher), each other, and themselves.

The casting is ingenious. Hudson and Puttnam wanted to have a cast with unknown actors in the leading roles surrounded by a well-known supporting cast, and does it ever work! Ian Charleson was discovered in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Piaf. Cross was seen in the play Chicago and they really loved his musical talent. Surrounding these two leads, noticeable standouts are Ian Holm as Abraham’s running coach, Sam Mussabini, Sir John Gielgud in a more glorified cameo as a master of Cambridge college, and Nigel Havers as Lord Andrew Lindsay. Ian Holm gave the more emotional performance and he dominated every scene he was in. The one scene where he celebrates a victory after 30 years in the business and not being allowed in the Olympic Stadium because he was a Jew swallowed me up with emotion.

I really liked how the movie is not preachy. Yes, the movie is enveloped in spiritual themes, but it doesn’t whack you on the head consistently with these themes and that made the movie more accessible for the mainstream audience. That said, faith and inspiration play major roles in the movie because they are the basic foundations of why these men choose to run. The movie is also a British film, and it does have some sharp messages against the British class system. There is also a very strong message against anti-Semitism. If you are expecting a historical accurate film, you may need to look elsewhere. Hudson took some liberties creating this movie. He wanted to give the main characters more time together despite their paths briefly intersecting with each other in reality.

Chariots of Fire is a tour-de-force movie that you will not forget. From the moment the film began with the iconic scene of the runners on the beach running to Vangelis’s masterful, haunting score, you know this is something special, something inspirational. Vangelis really created one of the most well-known musical scores of all time and it successfully establishes the tone of the movie. Running is not my favorite sport, but I came to care for these characters. I came to share in their emotions of joy, stress, defeat, inspiration, and glory. Instead of a paint-by-numbers about running, we get a movie that shows the best of human nature. The winner of 4 Oscars, including Best Picture, this movie is bound to give you inspiration if you need some! I certainly did!

My Grade: A