Chariots of Fire (Two-Disc Special Edition)

I saw this movie when I was in high school and thought it was good. Bought it a few weeks ago and can't believe how good it really is. If it's been a few years (or, even days) since you've watched this, it's worth seeing again, and again, and again...

I watched this movie when it first came out... and I have realized that this movie is a true classic... I have learned to appreciate the story of just two men, but of a group character that interact during their early twenty. Something, I could understand and relate. Timeless, does not come close to describing the beauty of the storytelling of this motion picture. The entertainment value, as well as the 1920s period (clothes & behavior of the people) is so charming. It made me want to run, run, run! If only I didn't have these heal spurs!!!!

When this movie first came out I was kindda young so I thought it was boring!!
As I've gotten older I've grown to really like this movie!!
I would say this movie is no dout worth it to buy!!
I rate this movie a 8 from 1to10!!

Many great sports movies are about self-sacrifice for the sake of selfish goals. Rocky Balboa fought to prove something. Lou Gehrig wanted to persevere. Rudy Ruettiger just wanted to play for Notre Dame. They have obstacles, and by sheer will, overcome them.

Not Eric Liddell. Liddell wanted to glorify God. When he ran, he felt closer to God. When it came to winning, he wanted it to point toward God, not himself.

When questioned about his commitment as a Christian, and to his intention to return as a missionary to China, he replied, "I believe that God made me for a purpose. But He also made me fast, and when I run, I feel His pleasure." "Chariots of Fire" shows him as a man who never compromised, and followed through as an athlete who happened to be a Christian.

The movie contrasts Liddell against the various concerns of others. Some ran for country, others ran for their king. Some ran for the good name of their school. Others ran so that they themselves would receive honor.

Parallel to Liddell's Olympic chase is the story of Harold Abrahams, another English runner who faces quiet prejudice as a Jew from a blue color background. Abrahams worked as hard as Liddell, but his commitment was for himself. This distinction flowed in and out of various scenes.

In a time when devotion to God is not considered fashionable, Liddell refused to change his position. His faith is not made an issue -- it is nice to see a movie that does not rest in snarkish cynicism, but tolerates Liddell's faith without whitewashing it.

Aspects of the movie are fictionalized, but the essence is accurate. The filming is beautiful, and the acting solid. The music is well known, and strong throughout.

The title refers to a line in William Blake's poem, "And Did Those Feet in Ancient Time," which, itself refers to Elijah's chariot as mentioned in 2 Kings 2:11.

I fully recommend "Chariots of Fire."

Anthony Trendl
http://runnersdilemma.blogspot.com

Based on a true story, Hudson's wonderfully acted "Fire" tells a tale of two dedicated competitors, observing the personal motivations behind each individual's quest for victory. Charleson and Cross are excellent, but so is the supporting cast, including Ian Holm (as a track coach), and John Gielgud and Lindsay Anderson as harrumphing Cambridge snobs. With an indelible synthesizer score by Vangelis, dynamic race sequences, and a rousing, triumphant climax lifting it above the shoulders of similar films, "Fire" picked up the Best Picture Oscar in 1981.