Chariots of Fire (1981)

Directed by: Hugh Hudson | 123 minutes | drama, history, sports | Actors: Nicholas Farrell, Nigel Havers, Ian Charleson, Ben Cross, Daniel Gerroll, Ian Holm, John Gielgud, Lindsay Anderson, Nigel Davenport, Cheryl Campbell, Alice Krige, Dennis Christopher, Brad Davis, Patrick Magee, Peter Egan, David Yelland, Struan Rodger

It is a well-known image from film history: a group of young men running through the surf of the sea. They are dressed in white shirts and white shorts. The men clearly enjoy what they are doing, because they smile and gesture at each other. The images are in slow motion, making the movements of the men stand out even more, and are accompanied by Vangelis’ legendary synthesizer music. Many people know this image and even more people recognize the music. But few people know exactly what ‘Chariots of Fire’ (1981), because this is the opening scene of that film, is about. The Greek composer Vangelis broke through with his soundtrack for this film and also won an Oscar. ‘Chariots of Fire’ was also awarded best picture of the year by the Academy. Not surprising, for a British film without big names and by a rather unknown director. Unfortunately, this beautiful film has been somewhat forgotten in recent years.

‘Chariots of Fire’ tells the true story of two men in the early 1920s. One is Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross), an Englishman of Jewish-Lithuanian descent. He studies at the prestigious University of Cambridge and is adored by his fellow student Aubrey Montague (Nicholas Farrell). Yet he has the feeling that he is not fully accepted, because of his origin. The other is Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson), the Scottish son of missionaries who is also expected to dedicate his life to spreading the word of God. He plans to do so, but not until he realizes his Olympic dream. Harold and Eric have one thing in common: they can run incredibly fast. They just deal with it very differently; Eric walks purely for pleasure, while Harold walks mainly to prove himself and silence his critics – the university rectors (John Gielgud and Lindsay Anderson) -. Both men are selected for the 1924 Games in Paris. However, they still have some obstacles in their way to realize their ideal.

Hugh Hudson directed only one short film before ‘Chariots of Fire’, ‘The Tortoise and the Hare’ (1967). So you can say that the heroic epic about Abrahams and Liddell was his debut. After that, Hudson would never match the success again. Together with screenwriter Colin Welland, he made ‘Chariots of Fire’ an unforgettable film and an unexpected hit at the Oscars. In this film it is not even about the question of whether the gentlemen realize their big dream, namely that gold Olympic medal, but how they do it. The psychological battles with themselves are especially prominent in the character Harold Abrahams. Liddell is especially struggling to continue to combine his faith with his sport. ‘Chariots of Fire’ is therefore more of a character study than a sports film and that works out very well. The settings and costumes have been taken care of in detail, and paint a beautiful and real picture of England in the 1920s. It’s just a shame that just about every scene that involves a run is played back in slow motion. A shortcoming that many sports films are guilty of. It will no doubt increase the dramatic aspect, but the only time it really works is in the famous beach scene at the beginning and end of the film.

The cast of ‘Chariots of Fire’ deserves a big kudos. Lead actors Charleson (known for ‘Gandhi’) and Cross (‘First Knight’) deserve a lot of praise for their realistic and intense performances. Charleson in particular plays his part with gusto. Unfortunately, the actor, who also achieved great success in the theater, died of AIDS in 1990; he was only forty years old. The supporting roles are also excellent, with Oscar nominee Ian Holm (‘The Lord of the Rings’) as a standout. As Mussabini, Abrahams’ private trainer, he turns his small role into something very special. Also nice is the supporting role of a still young Nigel Havers (‘Empire of the Sun’) as the filthy rich Andrew Lindsay, a fellow student of Abrahams who trains for the 110 meter hurdles by jumping over beams with glasses of champagne. Furthermore, it’s always nice to see Sir John Gielgud play and also keep an eye out for David Yelland in a cameo as the Prince of Wales. Overall, the acting is excellent and adds value to the film as a whole.

Maybe ‘Chariots of Fire’ in 2007 seems a bit dusty, but if you can see through that, you will see that this is a wonderful film about perseverance, the urge to prove, inner struggle and comradeship. The protagonists are sympathetic enough to draw you into their heroic story. Watch the film for yourself and discover that ‘Chariots of Fire’ is much more than the legendary music of Vangelis.