Review of Chariots of Fire (1981) by Tracey H — 21 Dec 2011

Chariots of Fire was a deeply inspiring film, and its message of perseverance and courage, with its endearing triumph over narrow minded bigotry, was truly cheering. To all this, it had a most beautiful score that really accentuated its engaging tone, and the opening sequence, shot with brilliant camerawork, is now recognized as among the most famous ever.

But it had two major weaknesses - a slow pace, and an evident lack of dialogue. These two weaknesses may well have taken its beauty away, were it not for the fact that its subject matter was dealt with in a precise and acute manner.

But those two weaknesses never really disappeared throughout its 2 hour-plus duration, and I felt it at each and every point in the film. What I thought of the film because of those weaknesses - that this became a kind of unintended attempt at a massive epic after some time - was the same opinion that I harbored for all those other 1980s British productions, including A Passage to India and Gandhi.

But in conclusion, Chariots of Fire was a well thought out drama, and indeed, one of the most inspiring I've watched. And it wasn't just because of that uplifting Vangelis score.