Chariots of Fire

Name: Chariots of Fire
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Released: April 9, 1982
Duration: 125 min
Rating: 78
Cast: Ben Cross, Cheryl Campbell, Daniel Gerroll, Ian Charleson, Ian Holm

1982

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 19 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 19 Ratings

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6.7

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6.7	Your Score
6.7	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 19 Ratings

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Movie Details & Credits

Twentieth Century Fox Film Company | Release Date: April 9, 1982 | PG

Starring: Ben Cross, Cheryl Campbell, Daniel Gerroll, Ian Charleson, Ian Holm, John Gielgud, Lindsay Anderson, Nicholas Farrell, Nigel Davenport, Nigel Havers

Summary: Two British track athletes, one a determined Jew and the other a devout Christian, compete in the 1924 Olympics.

Director: Hugh Hudson

Genre(s): Biography, Drama, Sport

Rating: PG

Runtime: 125 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Kathleen Carroll

Chariots of Fire reasserts the importance of the so-called old-fashioned virtues of moral courage and personal integrity and, as such, it is a movie that, with the help of Vangelis Papathanassiou’s wonderfully stirring music, lifts the spirits to a new high. The actors seem to have been born to play their roles. Read full review

100

The Guardian Peter Bradshaw

A bold, intelligent, romantic film with all the lineaments of a classic, and a score by Vangelis as instantly hummable as the music for Jaws. Read full review

100

Roger Ebert

Chariots of Fire is one of the best films of recent years, a memory of a time when men still believed you could win a race if only you wanted to badly enough. Read full review

James Berardinelli

There's barely a whiff of melodrama in Chariots of Fire, which makes the film-watching experience all the more effective -- director Hugh Hudson shows respect for the integrity of his material and the intelligence of his audience. The absence of mawkish moments provides the narrative with a genuine quality that supports its factual background. Read full review

Gary Arnold

Expertly acted, Chariots is an undeniable rouser. However, there's also something a trifle much about its very wholesomeness and likability. Read full review

TV Guide Magazine Staff (Not Credited)

A pleasant, mildly inspirational movie but hardly worthy of all the accolades it received. Read full review

Jay Scott

This film is all shiny inspirational veneer. It leads you to issues but it won't let you think...It may be good for you, but it's not entertainment. And it may not be good for you: lurking at the penumbra of the film's sunny celebration of brotherhood is the faint but unmistakable shadow of anti-Semitism. [26 Sept 1981]

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User Reviews

geewah

Jan 21, 2021

A fantastic and inspiring sporting biopic that is brilliantly acted and has a score from Vangelis that remains one of the finest in cinematic history.
One of the best sports movies made.

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Tyranian

Apr 7, 2019

Very moving film with awesome music and good acting. A classic through and through.

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amheretojudge

Jul 2, 2018

runs swiftly with an even pace..

Chariots Of Fire 3 And A Half Out 5 Chariots Of Fire is a plot driven feature about an Olympic Event and the catastrophe and inner politics that it breeds among its characters. There is a lot of concrete material than one's mere textbook sport feature,runs swiftly with an even pace..

Chariots Of Fire

3 And A Half Out 5

Chariots Of Fire is a plot driven feature about an Olympic Event and the catastrophe and inner politics that it breeds among its characters. There is a lot of concrete material than one's mere textbook sport feature, like a genuine love story, a political input, a dramatic angle on the minority-majority conflict and the good old jealousy factor just to spicen things up. It is short on technical aspects like editing, costume design and sound department, although scores utterly on its beautiful cinematography and up beating background score. The camera work could have been a lot better if kept a bit more grounded and practical especially when a running sequence or a competition is depicted in here. The screenplay by Colin Welland is smart if not gripping, with just the right amount of fuel on both the character and plot track that drives the feature frictionless with a perfect balance throughout the course of it. Hugh Hudson; the director, has done a decent work on executing the anticipated vision with, as mentioned before, amazing cinematography on its side. The performance by the cast like Nicholas Farrell, Ian Charleson and Ben Cross is convincing but not something that leaves the audience in awe of it. Chariots Of Fire runs swiftly with an even pace, familiar format and rigid structure that is at best motivating and at worst worth exploring.… Expand

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