A competition of wills, not merely one between men

Rating: 10/10 (31 January 2001)

"Chariots of Fire", a story primarily revolving around the lives of two men: Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams, was to my mind, thoroughly engrossing from start to finish. Perhaps because it is a film which shows a great understanding of human nature and the psychology of competition between two men. Yet each man struggles with something greater than the mere running of a race. Liddell is hard pressed to maintain his integrity and faith under duress. A devout Scottish protestant, he must choose between racing on a Sunday or not, and thereby show or deny his sense of allegiance to God, though it would be so tempting to rationalize that running the race at the Olympics would actually be fulfilling his duty to King and country. At the same time, Abrahams struggles with his own perfectionism, his own discontent within himself, his own driving ambition to win above all else, and to deal with the agony of defeat. Add some fantastic music, painstakingly realistic examples of cinematography, a few nail-biting cliff hangers, the sting of unjust racial prejudices at work, and more than a little foul play, and you have yourself a winner here. I absolutely love this film, though I would not say it is for everyone. My rating: 10/10.