Review of Chariots of Fire (1981) by Cal ( — 27 Dec 2007
'Chariots of Fire' is a classic inspirational sporting tale that explores faith and courage in the face of great adversity. Based on a true story of the 1924 Olympics, we follow a young man named Harold Abrahams (Cross); a Jew who is gifted in running and runs only to win.
Both his adversary Eric Liddell (Charleson) and he have their hearts set on winning the gold medal for running at the Olympic Games in Paris. We follow them both as they train fiercely and overcome the obstacles they face on and off the running track.
Performances all round are first rate, and the direction is stunning as well. The film is exceptionally told and is a timeless production...but I also found the first hour or so to be very boring, albeit well made.
Vangelis' remarkable score went down in history as one of the greatest film scores ever, and it won an Academy Award. 'Chariots of Fire' is an original, remarkable true story that is riveting storytelling made even better with a magnificent score.
However, in my opinion the film was far too long and occasionally quite boring.
This review of Chariots of Fire (1981) was written by Cal ( on 27 Dec 2007.
Chariots of Fire has generally received positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
