Chariots of Fire (film)

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 a quotation from the hymn Jerusalem which is a setting of a poem by William Blake. The film's working title was "Running" until Welland saw the scene with the singing of the hymn and decided to change the title.

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 (J. J. Thomson)
Sir 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
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Cheers (2006) - rank 100

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 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. A scene depicting a performance of The Mikado was filmed in the Savoy Theatre with members of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, which lead to a small inaccuracy-the costumes worn by the performers were designed several years after the historical events depicted in the film.

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 Trinity Great Court run, which involves running around the court 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 in a race. 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:

'But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and be not weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.'

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

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; in fact, the only people known to have actually completed the run around the Great Court in time are Lord Burghley in 1927, Sebastian Coe in October 1988 when he beat Steve Cram in a charity race, and Sam Dobin in 2007 in a recorded time of 42.77s.

The film omits the fact that it was Liddell who introduced Abrahams to Sam Mussabini.

Early in the movie, Liddell is thrown down early in a Scotland–France 400 meter 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 yards in 10.4 seconds and the 220 yards in 22.6 seconds).

A major historical 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 of New Zealand, who refused permission for his name to be used in the film, allegedly out of modesty.

The character of Lord Lindsay is very loosely based on Lord Burghley, who was in reality eliminated in the heats of 110 meter 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 last.

Eric Liddell also ran in the 200 m and finished third (behind Paddock and gold medal winner Jackson Scholz). (This was the only time that they competed in the same race. The meeting in the 1923 AAA's Championship in the film was fictitious, though Liddell's win spurred Abrahams to train even harder[4].) As an opening runner for the 4 x 100 metres relay team, Abrahams won a silver medal (see article on 1924 Olympics.)

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