Chariots of Fire
In the class-obsessed and religiously divided UK of the early 1920s, two determined young runners train for the 1924 Paris Olympics. Eric Liddell, a devout Christian born to Scottish missionaries in China, sees running as part of his worship of God's glory and refuses to train or compete on the Sabbath. Harold Abrahams overcomes anti-Semitism and class bias, but neglects his beloved sweetheart in his single-minded quest.
Director(s)
Lindsay Anderson
Hugh Hudson
Jonathan Benson
Jane Buck
Melvin Lind
Bill Rudgard
Hugh O'Donnell
Terence Fitch
Matthew Binns
Cast & crew
Stephen Fry
Cambridge Student at Society Day (uncredited)
John Gielgud
Master of Trinity
Nicholas Farrell
Aubrey Montague
Alice Krige
Sybil Gordon
Philip O'Brien
US Coach
Cheryl Campbell
Jennie Liddell
Richard Griffiths
Head Porter - Caius College
Ian Holm
Sam Mussabini
Peter Jones
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Alan Polonsky
Paxton
Melvin Lind
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Jonathan Benson
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Matthew Binns
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Kenneth Branagh
Cambridge Student at Society Day (uncredited)
Nigel Davenport
Lord Birkenhead
Peter Egan
Duke of Sutherland
Ian Charleson
Eric Liddell
Patrick Doyle
Jimmie
Patrick Magee
Lord Cadogan
Ben Cross
Harold Abrahams
Nigel Havers
Lord Andrew Lindsay
Daniel Gerroll
Henry Stallard
Lindsay Anderson
Master of Caius
Dennis Christopher
Charles Paddock
Brad Davis
Jackson Scholz
Struan Rodger
Sandy McGrath
David Yelland
Prince of Wales
John Young
Rev. J.D. Liddell
Yvonne Gilan
Mrs Liddell
David John
Ernest Liddell
Benny Young
Rob Liddell
Yves Beneyton
George Andre
Stephen Mallatratt
Watson
Gerry Slevin
Colonel John Keddie
Colin Bruce
Taylor
Edward Wiley
Fitch
Jeremy Sinden
President - Gilbert and Sullivan Society
Andrew Hawkins
Secretary - Gilbert and Sullivan Society
Jack Smethurst
Sleeping Car Attendant
Peter Cellier
Head Waiter - The Savoy
Ruby Wax
Bunty
Ralph Lawton
Harbour Master
Kim Clifford
Sybil's Maid
John Rutland
Caius Porter
Tommy Boyle
Reporter
Wallace Campbell
Highland Provost
Gordon Hammersley
President - Cambridge Athletic Club
Alan Dudley
Caius Manservant
Tess Dignan
Schoolgirl
Michael Jeyes
Footman
David Kivlin
First Scots Boy
Eddie Hughson
Second Scots Boy
Ted Robbins
Shot Putter (uncredited)
Hugh Hudson
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Jane Buck
-
Bill Rudgard
-
Hugh O'Donnell
-
Terence Fitch
-
Details
Reviews
CinemaSerf
The opening bars of the Oscar-winning Vangelis score coupled with the shot of the athletes running along the beach, barefoot, at St. Andrews is amongst the most iconic opening scenes from any film, but somehow the rest of this strays all too often into mediocrity thereafter. It tells the story of two British athletes who strove to thrive at the Olympiad in Paris in 1924. Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross) comes from a Lithuanian Jewish background. who is welcomed to Cambridge University, but never quite accepted. The other is Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson), a devout Christian who comes from missionary stock and who believes that he must serve God before himself - and that includes not running any races on the Sabbath. Both of these men have considerable athletic skills, and the story intertwines their efforts to get to the Games, whilst both must deal with their differing priorities and challenges. It's this middle portion of the film, the prologued character development phase, that all plods along too slowly. It has too little pace and too many characters, and that just drags the film down. The last fifteen minutes liven up considerably though, not just with the events on the track - but amongst those determined to ensure that the whole team attains success making sacrifices and compromises along the way. It has a classy look to it, the costumes and settings are top drawer, but I found the leading performances rather disjointed and at over two hours long, I did struggle to stay engaged.
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