RyothChatty ridiculous rating

Platicsco Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Married Baby Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

Phillip Charles What an incredible film.Chariots of Fire tells the true story of two British Olympians who strove for gold in the 1924 Paris Olympics. The two, however, begin as rivals and each of their ambitions act as counterpoint to the other. Eric Lidell (Ian Charleson) is a devout Christian missionary but so naturally gifted as a runner and driven by his belief in God he is able to succeed. Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross) runs because he has something to prove; as a Jewish man in England in the 1920s, he is an outcast. He runs out of a sense of indignation and to prove his worth to others and to himself.This is where the film becomes exceptional. It focuses on the characters. The races are not seen as events of celebration and are not focused on by the director Hugh Hudson. Running is shown in the runners' perspectives; gritty and real, a struggle and a journey. Their focus is shown in the quiet, muted background noise, and the firm thuds of their feet as they run. Their self-fulfilment is evoked by Vangelis' soundtrack, which truly deserves all the praise it is given.Cross acts very well as a confused, brooding but determined young man. We feel his anger at loss, sympathise with his situation and are inspired by his hard work. Charleson plays the quintessential honourable Christian, a trope made interesting by the conflict the character has reconciling his faith and his running.It's very easy to say this film is dated and represents bygone British patriotism and class distinction unpalatable with today's norms. But films like this find their relevance in the examination of human nature and everything else in the film is merely the stage for these ideas to be realised.Chariots of Fire hearkens back to the idea of being able to succeed no matter your background, beliefs or challenges.

Cinema_freak I read the summary of this film - "Two British track athletes, one a determined Jew and the other a devout Christian, compete in the 1924 Olympics." - and decided to give it a shot. And that was all there was to the movie. A Christian, and a Jew compete in the 1924 Olympics on behalf of Great Britain. All throughout the movie, I waited and waited for something interesting to happen. But alas, it was all in vain. They run in the races, win their respective medals, and that's it. Presumably, it was mean to be enjoyed by the British in patriotic fervour. I wouldn't call it a bad film, but it isn't no masterpiece either. It did not deserve the Academy Award that year. The reason I give it a 5 is the beautiful way it's been shot, the acting, and of course, the marvellous theme song. That theme (by Vangelis, he deserved his Oscar) is the biggest contribution this movie has made to the world! I somehow believe that the theme brainwashes people into believing this movie to be a masterpiece!

oOoBarracuda As an avid runner, I was more than excited to see Chariots of Fire, I was also perplexed as to why I hadn't seen it yet. Needless to say, I had high hopes for the 1981 Best Picture winner directed by Hugh Hudson. Unfortunately, I found myself largely disappointed. The look of the film was incredible. I have said it before, and will undoubtedly say it after today; I love film. I mean, I love movies shot on film. You don't get the look, like the one achieved in Chariots of Fire with digital films. When the film can lend so much to the story, like the gritty look achieved in the opening shot to distinguish the characters; the film is almost like a character itself. But enough of my monologue of the importance of the Film Preservation Society.Chariots of Fire tells the story of two naturally-gifted British sprinters, Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson) and Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross). The story depicts how differently the athletes use their gifts in their respective lives. Abrahams, a Lithuanian practitioner of Judaism runs to cope with how different his Judaism makes him feel. Often looked down upon, his running prowess eventually garners him national respect and admiration. Conversely, Eric, the son of missionaries sees running as a way to enjoy notoriety and eventually get back into missionary work himself. The acting in this film is fine, the story was solid, the pacing was too slow, and the purpose was lost. I am starting to see why I have waited so long to see the remaining Best Picture winners. Ben Cross, although he had a sympathetic character, overacted his plight, for my liking. Meanwhile, I found Ian Charleson more aloof than his character demanded. A larger problem that some questionable acting choices was the purpose of the movie. Other than the obvious statement against racism and ethnocentricism rife throughout the film, I don't know what I am supposed to have learned or gotten out of the film. Perhaps "racism is bad" was the only purpose, which remains an important message, but I believe there was more attempting to be communicated. It could have been that the message was over my head, however, regardless, it didn't strike me. I concede that another viewing will almost always help in situations like these, but herein lies the movie buff problem; if I didn't like it the first time, will I ever watch it again?

ofpsmith This is a great depiction of a true story of Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross) and Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson) two British track athletes competing in the 1924 Olympic games. Harold is Jewish and Eric is Christian. As the film goes on we see Harold and Eric win their respective races as they become closer friends. Win they are put into a race together we see that the have a sense of competition towards one another but they soon realize how close they are. The film focuses on these two people mostly and their lives behind them. Eric is a soon to be missionary who is running the race because he wants to please God, and Harold is running to overcome anti-Semitism. It's a very good depiction and the acting is also quite good. I like it a lot mostly because I run cross country for my high school. I recommend it and give it 8 stars out of 10.