Blindspot: Chariots of Fire (1981)

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“I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure,” said Eric Liddell to his pious sister.
Of God and men, of faith and patriotism, for serving God and breaking stereotypes, Hugh Hudson’s Chariots of Fire wraps them all in a biopic about British athletic team’s triumphant victory in the 1924 Olympics. It’s a rare picture which concatenates the urgency of nationalism, ambition, and the evangelism on running tracks, making it one of the strongest Best Picture winners.

Chariots centers on two intertwining stories in one frame. Harold Abrahams (portrayed by Ben Cross), an English Jew, runs to fight over anti-Semitism prejudice; meanwhile, Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson), a Christian missionary runs for the glory of God. They fight their own fight and run their own run; but, in the end, their trails intersect for a greater good.
Sermons, prep-talks and post-WW I spiritualism converge in complex character study, which often is characterized in rivalry fashion, but never become a straight confrontation. Both figures’ backstories are mined cleverly with nods to socio-political circumstances around the era and sympathetic approach. Having watched this, I now realize where Ron Howard’s inspiration in making ‘rivalry biopic’ came from.
Aside from Vangelis’ score which now becomes classic and the neat storyline, Chariots also shines with fabulous performances, including Ian Holm’s trainer character, and the leads. Cross emanates strong will, which finally breaks the prejudice, while Charleson (whose life partially resembles Liddell) is more restrained; and, combination of such characters is such a winning formula.

Chariots might resemble the run on the beach compared to the run on actual track, but its strong message ventures further than anything else on track.

Chariots of Fire (1981)

Biography, Drama, Sport Directed by: Hugh Hudson Written by: Colin Welland Starred by: Ben Cross, Ian Charleson, Nicholas Farrell, Ian Holm Runtime: 125 mins Rated PG
IMDb

One response to “Blindspot: Chariots of Fire (1981)”

  1. GST Training Avatar
    GST Training

    Awesome work.Just wanted to drop a comment and say I am new to your blog and really like what I am reading.Thanks for the share

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