Chariots of Fire: sports as a God given gift.

Rating: 10/10 (16 June 2010)

In 1981, sports was still innocent. This movie tells the stories of Eric Liddell and Harold Abraham in the 1924 Olympics. Eric races as a reflection of God's gift to him to be an excellent runner; Abraham races because he wants to be the best Jewish racer. Their essence, their essential identity, is the key to their success as runners.
It is unwise to look to closely at Hollywood scripts to see how far they will veer from reality; while this one is remarkably accurate, it falls short in some important ways.
But no one reads Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" or "Macbeth" or "Hamlet" as studies in 'real' people; these plays are expositions of character. The audience leaves wondering what they would do in such a position; wonders if they would ever end up in such a position.
And here the film lives up to that question. The viewer admires the character study presented in the film without having to know the 'facts,' the 'details' of the 1924 Olympics.
And here's the point. Many athletes --students-- must except their limitations that God gave them. The athlete has a unique set of gifts from God to perform at that level of sustained excellence: hand-eye coordination, muscular strength, swiftness, dexterity. The student cannot be tempted to take steroids in an attempt to 'improve' their performance. The whole point of athletic contests is this contest, this challenge of the body--the God given body. To alter that equation is to alter the contest. Sadly, it's an observation most athletes seem unable to grasp.
And when athletes set an example of poor sportsmanship, and the student follows suit, the student puts health at risk using steroids.
The movie set its premise without a whole lot of sentimentality, and in a direct, forthright manner. The music provided a reflection of their achievement--soaring with quiet steadfast excellence.