Classic From The Vault
Chariots of Fire (1981)
Director: Hugh Hudson
By Alex Watson
Great Britain at the moment is in a state of Olympic fever! London hosts the games for the first time since 1948 and we all hope it is a success. Our history of Olympic athletes has brought us some of the true great names of years gone by such as Steve Redgrave, Sebastian Coe, Steve Ovett, Daley Thompson and Kelly Holmes. But one Olympic theme that tends to stick in the mind came from Hugh Hudson’s classic drama, Chariots of Fire. It gave the story to two men both competing for glory and the different adversities they had to overcome. It was a heart warming tale of competitive spirit and has given film one of the moment memorable opening sequences of all time.
The story of Chariots of Fire follows two separate athletes, Jewish runner Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross) and Scottish fast man Eric Liddell (Ian Charleston). As mentioned both men run for different reasons, Abrahams runs against the prejudice he faces from fellow students at Oxford while devoted Christian Liddell runs for the glory of God. The two men become rivals as time goes on and together they aim for glory at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris.
From the very moment that Greek composer Vangelis’ iconic theme start playing the hairs on the back of our neck start to stand up. Although it has now been parodied to death in the modern day, this beginning scene of the young British hopefuls jogging across a beach is still deservedly iconic and as we re-watch we can only wonder what each man is thinking from the playful smile of Lord Lindsay (Nigel Havers) to the hard concentration of Abrahams.
But even in light of its success, years on many critics are still dismissing this film as some over-rated piece of schmaltz that is un-deserving of any accolades. Chariots of Fire is a magnificent piece of work that is much more than about a race this film brings about many things such as the power of faith, the difference between class and the price of glory. But the film is driven forward on the pure strength of character, each character has a desire to succeed whether it is fighting anti-Semitism or believing that God gave you a purpose. It is these elements that make these characters great.
Abrahams is notoriously difficult as a person, he’s got arrogance about himself brought on by hard- nosed Oxford Deans who sneer upon him. As a runner failure is not an option, but when defeat occurs against Liddell in an early event, Abrahams sinks into a deep depression and is only rescued by great trainer Sam Mussabini. Together the two make his short sprints into a deadly weapon and soon he is a threat to great American runners Charley Paddock (Dennis Christopher) and Jackson Scholtz (Brad Davis).
Liddell however, is a conflicted man torn between his own personal glory and giving his life to God and running the family mission in China. Through his sermons to people in the rain after events he states that we wants them to do more than watch a race but ‘to take part in it’. But its Charleston’s scenes with Liddell’s devout sister that pack the big emotional punch and here the great Scot truly questions whether an Olympic medal is worth all this? Problems will arise when Liddell refuses to run on the Sabbath- even with pressure from the Prince of Wales his faith is absolute.
Ben Cross and Ian Charleston give a fine pair of central performances, Cross’ hard intensity gives Abrahams a fire that make his presence felt on screen! Since this Cross has been largely absent from our screen and it is a crying shame because here he is simply magnificent. The late Charleston (who died from aids in 1990) is brilliant as the quietly confident scot Liddell; he stands as the voice of reason in this and through this Charleston gives him a complexity that makes his character rich! But its veteran Ian Holm who steals the show as Sam Mussabini, his frank and honest comments against Abrahams and the athletic world provide the comic relief for the film.
Chariots of Fire is a great British film for so many reasons, it gives us a powerful story of triumph against the odds and gives a clutch of characters that are memorable for so many reasons. Hudson’s direction is superb and he has given us an iconic film for all time. If you want the perfect way to warm up for the Olympics then this is the best way to begin! Be warned though, the Vangelis score will be playing in your head for days to come!
Closer to the Edge 