The Best Picture of 1981 is…..”Chariots of Fire.” This is the story of two determined runners in the 1920’s who are training for the British track team that is to appear in the 1924 Paris Olympics: Eric Liddell, a devout Scottish Christian who runs for the glory of God (and plans to be a missionary to China), and Harold Abrahams, an English Jew who runs to overcome discrimination. Director Hugh Hudson and screenwriter Colin Welland put together this compelling drama that outshines any athletic film ever produced. The spiritual and ethical themes take over our attention for the entire 124 minutes running time.
The cast is headed by Ian Charleson as Liddell and Ben Cross as Abrahams, delivering captivating performances. Amazingly, neither was nominated for an Oscar. However, Ian Holm was nominated for Best Supporting Actor as Abrahams’ running coach. Co-stars include Nigel Havers, Nicholas Farrell, John Gielgud, Lindsay Anderson, Cheryl Campbell, Nigel Davenport, Patrick Magee, David Yelland, Peter Egan, Brad Davis, and Alice Krige, who later became famous as the Borg Queen of “Star Trek” movies and television programs.
“Chariots of Fire” was quite a box office sensation for Allied Stars Ltd., Enigma Productions, and 20th Century Fox. It was nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning four: Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Costume Design, and Best Original Score (Vangelis).
Chariots of Fire (1981)
cinema
My Review
The Best Picture of 1981 is…..”Chariots of Fire.” This is the story of two determined runners in the 1920’s who are training for the British track team that is to appear in the 1924 Paris Olympics: Eric Liddell, a devout Scottish Christian who runs for the glory of God (and plans to be a missionary to China), and Harold Abrahams, an English Jew who runs to overcome discrimination. Director Hugh Hudson and screenwriter Colin Welland put together this compelling drama that outshines any athletic film ever produced. The spiritual and ethical themes take over our attention for the entire 124 minutes running time.
The cast is headed by Ian Charleson as Liddell and Ben Cross as Abrahams, delivering captivating performances. Amazingly, neither was nominated for an Oscar. However, Ian Holm was nominated for Best Supporting Actor as Abrahams’ running coach. Co-stars include Nigel Havers, Nicholas Farrell, John Gielgud, Lindsay Anderson, Cheryl Campbell, Nigel Davenport, Patrick Magee, David Yelland, Peter Egan, Brad Davis, and Alice Krige, who later became famous as the Borg Queen of “Star Trek” movies and television programs.
“Chariots of Fire” was quite a box office sensation for Allied Stars Ltd., Enigma Productions, and 20th Century Fox. It was nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning four: Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Costume Design, and Best Original Score (Vangelis).