Chariots of Fire

Rating: 7/10 (20 March 2009)

Most people probably know this film for the famous (running) theme tune, which has been used hundreds of times in other films and TV programmes, mostly in slow motion running sequences, I obviously knew of it because of this. Based on a true story, this sports drama takes place in 1924 Britain, where two young British sprinters, devout Scottish missionary Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson) and Jewish Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross), are competing at Cambridge ready to run in the Summer Olympics. That's really all there is to say. Also starring BAFTA nominated Nigel Havers as Lord Andrew Lindsay, Nicholas Farrell as Aubrey Montague; BAFTA winning, and Oscar nominated Sir Ian Holm as Sam Mussabini, Sir John Gielgud as Master of Trinity, Lindsay Anderson as Master of Caius, Nigel Davenport as Lord Birkenhead, Cheryl Campbell as Jennie Liddell, Alice Krige as Sybil Gordon, Dennis Christopher as Charles Paddock, Brad Davis as Jackson Scholz, Patrick Magee as Lord Cadogan, Peter Egan as Duke of Sutherland, Struan Rodger as Sandy McGrath, David Yelland as Prince of Wales, Richard Griffiths as Head Porter - Caius College, Daniel Gerroll as Henry Stallard and Ruby Wax as Bunty. I have to be honest, I was more interested in the running and music more than the chat sequences, but never-the-less, it is a very good British film. It won the Oscars for Best Picture, Best Costume Design, Best Music for Vangelis and Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen, and it was nominated for Best Director for Hugh Hudson and Best Film Editing, it won the BAFTAs for Best Film and Best Costume Design, and it was nominated for the Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music, Best Cinematography, Best Direction, Best Editing, Best Production Design/Art Direction, Best Screenplay and Best Sound, and it won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film. It was number 100 on 100 Years, 100 Cheers, and it was number 18 on The 50 Greatest British Films. Very good!