Chariots of Fire

Chariots of Fire
Image:Chariots of fire.jpg Film Poster
Directed by	Hugh Hudson
Produced by	David Puttnam Jake Eberts (executive producer) Dodi Fayed (executive producer) James Crawford (associate producer)
Written by	Colin Welland
Starring	Ben Cross Ian Charleson Nigel Havers Cheryl Campbell Alice Krige
Music by	Vangelis (as Vangelis Papathanassiou)
Distributed by	- USA - Warner Bros. The Ladd Company - non-USA - 20th Century Fox
Release date(s)	March, 1981 9 October, 1981
Running time	123 min
Language	English, French
Budget	$5,500,000
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Chariots of Fire is a British film released in 1981. Written by Colin Welland and directed by Hugh Hudson, it is based on the true story of British athletes preparing for and competing in the 1924 Summer Olympics. The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards and won four, including Best Picture.

The title is taken from the hymn "Jerusalem" which is played during the film and features the lines "Bring me my bow of burning gold! / Bring me my Arrows of Desire! / Bring me my spear! O clouds, unfold! / Bring me my Chariot of Fire!". The hymn is a setting by Hubert Parry of William Blake's poem "And did those feet in ancient time", and Blake in turn took the phrase from II Kings 2:11. The movie's first title was supposed to be "Running", however Welland saw the passage and decided to change the title.

Synopsis

The movie is based on the true story of two British athletes competing in the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. Englishman Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross), who is Jewish, overcomes anti-Semitism and class prejudice in order to compete against the "Flying Scotsman", Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson), in the 100 metre race.

In 1919, Abrahams enters Cambridge University. He attempts and succeeds at the College dash, which involves running around the quadrangle before the clock finishes striking 12. Meanwhile, Liddell sees running as a way of glorifying God before travelling to China to work as a missionary. He represents Scotland against Ireland, and preaches a sermon on "Life as a race" afterwards.

At their first meeting, Liddell shakes Abrahams' hand to wish him well, then beats him. Abrahams takes it badly, but Sam Mussabini (Ian Holm), a professional trainer that he had approached earlier, offers to take him on to improve his technique. However, this attracts criticism from the college authorities.

Eric's sister Jenny (Cheryl Campbell) worries he is too busy running to concern himself with their mission, but Eric tells her he feels inspired: "I believe that God made me for a purpose... (the mission), but He also made me fast, and when I run, I feel His pleasure."

Despite pressure from the Prince of Wales and the British Olympic committee, Liddell refuses to run a heat of the 100 metres at the Olympics because his Christian convictions prevent him from running on Sunday. Liddell is allowed to compete in the 400 metre race instead. Liddell at church on Sunday is seen quoting Isaiah 40 verse 31:

Those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength... they shall run and not be weary.

The story compares the similar athletic experiences of Abrahams and Liddell while portraying their vastly different characters and reactions to adversity.

Filming locations

The famous beach scenes associated with the theme tune were filmed at West Sands, St. Andrews (the last scene of the opening titles crosses the 18th hole at the famous St. Andrews Golf Course); a plaque commemorating the filming can be found there today. The scene at Trinity College, Cambridge was actually filmed at Eton College. The Colombes Olympic Stadium was represented by The Oval Sports Centre, Bebington, Merseyside. The nearby Woodside ferry terminal was used to represent the scenes set in Dover. Other scenes were filmed at Birchington, Kent.

Music

Main article: Chariots of Fire (album)

The original music, which won the movie an Academy Award, was composed by Vangelis, who employed synthesizer and piano among other instruments. The title theme of the film, has often been used in subsequent film and TV during slow-motion sequences usually for parody.

The film also incorporates a traditional work: a British choir singing "Jerusalem" at the 1978 funeral of Harold Abrahams, the event which bookends and presumably inspired the making of the film.

Historical accuracy

One scene in the film recreates a race in which the runners attempt to run round the perimeter of the Great Court at Trinity College, Cambridge in the time it takes the clock to double strike the hour at midday. Furthermore, in the film the runners succeed in beating the clock, but in fact the only people known to have actually completed the run around the Great Court in time are Lord Burghley in 1927 and Sebastian Coe in October 1988 when he beat Steve Cram in a charity race.

Early in the movie, Liddell is thrown down early in a Scotland–France 400 metre duel but recovers to make up a 20m deficit and win the race. This is based on a real event, and the real Liddell's achievement was even more impressive, as he had already won 2 other races that day (the 100-yard dash in 10.4 seconds and the 220 in 22.6 seconds).^{[citation needed]}

A major historic inaccuracy surrounds Liddell's refusal to race on a Sunday. In the film, he learns that one of the heats will be held on a Sunday as he is boarding the boat that will take the British Olympic team across the English Channel on their way to Paris. In fact, the schedule was made public several months in advance, and Liddell spent the remaining months training for the 400 metres, an event in which he had previously excelled.

In the film, the 100m bronze medallist is a fictional character called 'Tom Watson'. The real medallist was Arthur Porritt, who represented New Zealand. He refused permission for his name to be used in the film, allegedly out of modesty.^{[citation needed]}

The character of Lord Lindsay is very loosely based on Lord Burghley, who was in reality eliminated in the heats of 110 metres hurdles in the 1924 Olympics. He did not give up his place in the 400 metres for Liddell. The name was changed because Lord Burghley refused to cooperate with the film out of fear of inaccuracy.

The film does not mention the further exploits of the protagonists at the Olympics. After winning the 100 metres, Abrahams also reached the final of the 200 metres (but finished in last place). Eric Liddell also ran the 200 m and finished third. As an opening runner for the 4 x 100 m relay team, Abrahams won a second Olympic medal, a silver.^{[citation needed]}

Ratings

The film is rated PG in the UK for thematic elements.

Cast

Starring

• Ben Cross - Harold Abrahams
• Ian Charleson - Eric Liddell
• Nigel Havers - Lord Andrew Lindsay, loosely based on Lord Burghley, who did not consent to his name being used in the film.
• Cheryl Campbell - Jennie Liddell
• Alice Krige - Sybil Gordon, Abrahams's wife (her actual name was Sybil Evers)

Supporting Cast

• Lindsay Anderson - The Master of Caius
• Dennis Christopher - American sprinter Charlie Paddock
• Nigel Davenport - Lord Birkenhead
• Brad Davis - American sprinter Jackson Scholz
• Peter Egan - The Duke of Sutherland
• Sir John Gielgud - The Master of Trinity
• Ian Holm - Sam Mussabini, Abrahams's coach
• Patrick Magee - Lord Cadogan
• Nicholas Farrell - Aubrey Montague
• Daniel Gerroll - Henry Stallard
• Struan Rodger - Sandy McGrath
• David Yelland - The Prince of Wales
• Yves Beneyton - George Andre
• Jeremy Sinden - President of the Gilbert & Sullivan Society
• Gordon Hammersley - President of the Cambridge Athletic Club
• Andrew Hawkins - Secretary of the Gilbert & Sullivan Society
• Richard Griffiths - Head Porter of Caius
• John Young - The Reverend J. D. Liddell
• Benny Young - Rob Liddell
• Yvonne Gilan - Mrs Liddell
• Jack Smethurst - Sleeping car attendant
• Gerry Slevin - Colonel John Keddie
• Peter Cellier - Head waiter at the Savoy
• Stephen Mallatratt - Watson, based on Arthur Porritt
• Ruby Wax - American in audience

Awards and recognition

Academy Awards (1981)

Chariots of Fire was very successful at the Academy Awards. When he accepted his Oscar for Best Original Screenplay Colin Welland famously announced "The British are coming"

• Best Picture - David Puttnam, producer - won
• Original Music Score - Vangelis - won
• Writing Original Screenplay - Colin Welland - won
• Costume Design - Milena Canonero - won
• Best Supporting Actor - Ian Holm - nominated
• Directing - Hugh Hudson - nominated
• Film Editing - Terry Rawlings - nominated

Cannes Film Festival (1981)

• Best Supporting Actor - Ian Holm - won
• Prize of the Ecumenical Jury - Special Mention - Hugh Hudson - won
• Palme d'Or (Golden Palm) - Hugh Hudson - nominated

BAFTA Awards (1981)

• BAFTA Award for Best Film (1981) - won

Golden Globes

• Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film - won

Grammy Awards (1983)

• Best Pop Instrumental Performance - Ernie Watts for "Chariots of Fire Theme (Dance Version)" - won

Popular lists

• BFI Top 100 British films (1999) - rank 19
• Hot 100 No. 1 Hits of 1982 (USA) (May 8) - Vangelis, Chariots of Fire theme

References in popular culture

• During the 1984 Summer Olympic Games, an American Express credit card commercial ("Don't leave home without it") included Ben Cross and the 87-year-old Jackson Scholz. When Cross says something about beating Scholz, the latter remarks with mock indignation, "You never beat me!" Proving he is "still pretty fast," Scholz beats Cross to the draw in picking up the tab with his credit card.
• The English rugby league player Martin Offiah was nicknamed "Chariots," after the film.
• One Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner short is called Chariots of Fur.
• On Sesame Street, one segment of Monsterpiece Theater was called "Chariots of Fur"; it involved Grover and Herry Monster having a race down the beach.
• In one episode of Two and a Half Men, Alan Harper (Jon Cryer) is running on a beach (He has insomnia and his brother suggests exercise). He does a parody of Chariots of Fire, before being mistaken for a burglar and being picked up by the police.
• In Mr. Mom, Jack Butler (Michael Keaton) competes in a company-sponsored decathlon, which is seen in slow motion to the famous Chariots of Fire theme.
• In National Lampoon's Vacation, Clark and Rusty Griswold (Chevy Chase and Anthony Michael Hall respectively) are seen running through the Walley-World parking lot (in slow motion) to the famous Chariots of Fire theme.
• In Bruce Almighty, Bruce Nolan (Jim Carrey) is covering a news story on Buffalo's Biggest Cookie. He tells the camera to "cue the cheesy inspirational music", to which the movie enters a slow motion version of Bruce attempting to throw milk into a line of children's cups, all while the theme from Chariots of Fire plays in the background. He fails miserably, drenching them in the milk.

See also

• Sabbath breaking
• Philip Noel-Baker
• Olympic films

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