Wow! An Excellent Picture! Bravo!

Rating: 10/10 (15 May 2010)

When I was attending my Young Leaders National Day in Australia, they showed some random clips from films about leadership and always following your dreams. They showed movie clips from Over The Hedge, Up, and, of course, Chariots Of Fire. I would have never bothered watching this if it wasn't for everyone claiming that they had watched it and it made feel like the odd one out. The clip showed the part where Eric Liddell confesses to his sister that God made him to run. That scene was memorable and was so intriguing even if it was only one or two minutes long. My local library, luckily, kept a copy aside for me and I couldn't wait to watch this MASTERPIECE. I was ready to face anything but somewhere I knew that this movie wasn't meant for me. First of all, it was made thirty or so years ago and films that long ago don't appeal to me as much as the new ones. Second of all, I was prepared to be bored out of my mind by listening to all that British accents being portrayed and the boring plot. Third of all, I had no history of what the story was about and that, surprisingly, made the film feel more intriguing. The competition between Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams is very fun to watch and since I hardly know anything about them, you won't know who is going to win. At times you are rooting for Eric Liddell and his fast legs but the majority of the time, my attention was focused on Harold Abrahams because he is more likable and way more determined that Eric Liddell. The beginning creates a sense of nostalgia as you see either Eric Or Harold, maybe one of their friends, half-narrating the story which you will watch. The story starts as a bunch of runners are running on the beach dressed in plain white-clothes. That was a perfect background for the credits to be portrayed in. Even though the film is more than thirty years old, it felt like something made in the nineties and that's a bad thing. The date which it is set in doesn't even feel like it is the right time. It looks too futuristic for the date it was set in. Ben Cross is lovable as Harold Abrahams and he is fantastic in this picture. I guarantee you no one can play Harold better than him. I was very surprised that the film won four Oscars but none went to anyone, except a nomination for Ian Holme. Ben Cross should have truly won an Oscar or, at least, a nomination for his notable performance. Ian Charleson was fine not to win an Oscar but if it wasn't for his death, I am pretty sure he would be having an Oscar held in his hand right round. I can't say if he portrayed Eric Liddell beautifully since I don't even know how he was but if he was something like this in the film, I am sure he would've been proud of him. Ian Holme came to be quite a surprise for his performance of Sam Mussabini, the coach of Harold Abrahams, and he is hardly recognizable. He was the coach that everyone wishes they had. The award for Costume Design was earned well because the costumes filled in a lot of its time.
The story, told in flashback, of two young British sprinters competing for fame in the 1924 Olympics. Eric, a devout Scottish missionary runs because he knows it must please God. Harold, the son of a newly rich Jew runs to prove his place in Cambridge society. In a warmup 100 meter race, Eric defeats Harold, who hires a pro trainer to prepare him. Eric, whose qualifying heat is scheduled for a Sunday, refuses to run despite pressure from the Olympic committee. A compromise is reached when a nobleman allows Eric to compete in his 400 meter slot. Eric and Harold win their respective races and go on to achieve fame as missionary and businessman/athletic advocate, respectively.
The moments where the film, literally, speed up or are filled with adrenaline are the best moments you will find in the film. The college race is memorable and contains a vague sense of nostalgia. The race is a race worth shouting for in approval, matter of fact every race in his film deserves your respect and more importantly, your valuable time. The Olympic races were tense and exhilarating, just the way I like it, and, surprisingly, I jumped out of my couch a lot of the time, to clap or shout " You can do it Harold! Yes, Harold! Good!". The music is ear catching and body moving. The film also contains, I think, some native British songs like "He is an Englishman" and many more. The music is great to hear but the title of the song is very hard to remember. The music is most of the time Christian themed. I highly recommend this film to anyone and I can't seem to understand why people do not like this movie. It contains of the best stories that are centered around the Olympics. Chariots Of Fire - there isn't a film like this nor will there ever be.