X
- 1982
- PG
- The Ladd Company
- 2 h 5 m
- 1982
- PG
- The Ladd Company
- 2 h 5 m
Summary Two British track athletes, one a determined Jew and the other a devout Christian, compete in the 1924 Olympics.
Directed By: Hugh Hudson
Written By: Colin Welland
- 1982
- PG
- The Ladd Company
- 2 h 5 m
- 1982
- PG
- The Ladd Company
- 2 h 5 m
Chariots of Fire
78
7.0
Where to Watch
Summary Two British track athletes, one a determined Jew and the other a devout Christian, compete in the 1924 Olympics.
Directed By: Hugh Hudson
Written By: Colin Welland
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 19 Critic Reviews
78
68% Positive
13 Reviews
13 Reviews
26% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
5% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 19 Critic Reviews
78
68% Positive
13 Reviews
13 Reviews
26% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
5% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Chariots of Fire will thrill you and delight you and very possibly reduce--or exalt--you to tears...Chariots of Fire is for everyone; it's exactly what a popular film ought to be: superb work by first-rate people out to achieve the highest standards of excellence. [28 Sept 1981, p.88]
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.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 25 User Ratings
7.0
68% Positive
17 Ratings
17 Ratings
28% Mixed
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
4% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 25 User Ratings
7.0
68% Positive
17 Ratings
17 Ratings
28% Mixed
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
4% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
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.
Vigorous but rather scattered account of two gallant young runners in the 1924 Olympics, based on the real-life experiences of Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell.
Despite its blatant mediocrity, this 1981 British film knocked 'em dead everywhere, which makes me suspect that audiences weren't responding to the film itself as much as to the attitudes that underlie it.
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]
Basically the most British thing ever, the story is well developed but ultimately not fully satisfying.
The contempt of the French and the introduction of the Americans from the British angle is pretty funny.
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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.
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Production Company
Enigma Productions,
Allied Stars Ltd.
Release Date Apr 9, 1982
Duration 2 h 5 m
Rating PG
Tagline This is the story of two men who run...not to run...but to prove something to the world. They will sacrifice anything to achieve their goals...Except their honor.
Awards
Academy Awards, USA
• 4 Wins & 7 Nominations
Golden Globes, USA
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
BAFTA Awards
• 3 Wins & 11 Nominations
