I love this movie so much

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

This film addresses the trajectory and rivalry between two Olympic runners of the English racing team who participated in the 1924 Olympics, in Paris. However, its far from be a mere sports film and can be seen under different prisms and approaches. Harold Abrahams is a young Jewish athlete who is determined to win all the races he runs in order to prove his worth to everyone, and perhaps to himself in the first place. The subjects of anti-Semitism and social elitism are evident and greatly affect his character and personality. His rival, Eric Liddell, is a Protestant, son of missionaries and husband of a devotee of the Presbyterian Church. He sees race as a way to praise and magnify God, and is so strict with his faith that he refuses to participate in races on Sunday. One wishes to affirm himself, to show what he is capable of, while the other knows what he is capable of, wanting only to thank those who believe that he has given him these abilities. Both, however, are marked by society because they do not fit fully into it, one for ethnic reasons, the other for the religious fervor in which he lives. Hypocrisy also appears in this film: university rectors who rejoice over a student's achievements but are not able to show it openly, or the banned trainer who is forced to watch his pupil's run from a window. And we also have something that still happens in today's Olympics: exacerbated nationalism's turning healthy sporting into a matter of national pride, fueled by medals and ovations.From these considerations you may be thinking that the plot is the best thing this movie has to offer and that's true, but it's not bad if you think the essence of any movie is to tell a good story. But it's also true that it's not the only good thing in this movie. The cast has heavy names that worked furiously and played great. Ben Cross was great like Abrahams, being able to express very well the psychological and emotional fragility's of this character; Ian Charleson was equally good in the role of Liddell, especially when speaking or talking about religion. On the track the issue was different, for I hated to see the actor running so affected and artificial, with his mouth wide open and swallowing all the unsuspecting flies that came up on the way. Cinematography is very good, within the standards of the films of the late seventies and early eighties, without the quality that the current film and digital resources have already accustomed our eyes. Some camera shots are excellent and quite unique. As for the soundtrack, composed by Vangelis, it really has become an icon, although I do not like the sound of the synthesizer and prefer the same song in a totally orchestral version. But this is a matter of personal taste.Nominated for seven Academy Awards, this film only achieved four of them, among which "Best Picture" and "Best Soundtrack". I also have some doubts about whether it will age well and stay popular in the coming decades, since it has virtually disappeared from DVD store windows, as well as from TV channels (even those who are especially dedicated to movie broadcasting). In any case, it remains one of the best films of the eighties and is an absolute must for any connoisseur of the seventh art.

After all these years the opening sequence of "Chariots of fire" is still one of the most memorable in the history of movies. A celebration of life and youth, the "simple" pleasure of being alive and running barefoot on the beach and the wonderful soundtrack enhancing the moment.The plot is about Abrahams and Liddell, two very different English athletes who competed in the 1924 Paris Olympic games.Abrahams is a Jew and a bit of a whiner. Allegedly "discriminated" because of his religion, Abrahams is rich, studying at one of the most exclusive universities of the country and on the verge of Olympic immortality. Hardly heavy burdens to bear. Liddell is a Scottish missionary, born in China and ready to go back but not before competing in Paris.Not being into sports, I found the film well-made, but slightly too long. Abrahams love story fills uselessly some screen time. It could have been avoided, without damaging the main plot in any way.Also, for non-English audience, the patriotic pride is a tad overbearing. It is a fine movie, but the big winner is the music, hardly ever used to best effect. You can forget the whole story and you will still remember the boys dressed in white running in slow motion on the beach.

for music. and for acting. for the art to discover motivations and human relations, courage, hard work, competition's spirit and status of part of a generous dream , the rules of a world, the spirit of sport, the generosity and the passion in a manner who seems be unique. because it is one of films who redefines old words. and the result is real brilliant. it is not easy to say why Chariots of Fire is an experience. maybe because it is perfect. maybe because has the science to give a complete message who could seem motivational lesson but, in fact, it is only, step by step, making of a miracle. it is one of the most seductive definitions for to live. and that does it one of the memorable films.

The name of this film Chariots of Fire is also a line from a famous poem / hymn called Jerusalem. It is treated as a national anthem amongst many in England. This film taps into nationalistic pride of winning in sport while conveying a subtle message that the ethics of the Olympic Games are lost in the pursuit of success.Two sportsmen from a bygone era Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross) and Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson)are rivals for the gold medal sprint at the Paris Olympic Games. Both are incredibly talented but very different personalities even though they are both outsiders in the society they live in. Abrahams is the son of a migrant Jew who is studying Law at Cambridge and feels out of place amongst the establishment he so detests, while Liddell is also a foreigner in his own land as he was born the son of a missionary in China and he is now back in Scotland but his religious views are seen as a bit odd.This film is based on real life people and an extraordinary situation which occurred in 1924. These guys ran in a different era when amateurism was the right way to compete, and Christian values were still relevant to a lot of people. Abrahams is unashamed ambitious and just wants to be the best and win for himself and his country and university. Liddell is also ambitious, but his religious activities with the missionary interferes with his goals, but he is convinced by his father that running in the name of God is honourable.There is an exploration of what motivates athletes, how to take defeat and how to run a straight race which is quite interesting. There also some other athletes in the group - Nigel Havers plays Lord Linsey who is competing in the hurdles. He brings another angle to the film as a true sportsman who just loves taking part. He plays a crucial role near the end of the film.There are good performances from the lead actors, and I thought the sporting action looked realistic while keeping the period details very well. The Vangelis music score is another major reason to like this film. There are some cheesy moments of athletes back slapping each other and pompous speeches about God King and Country, but on the whole this is an interesting movie - 8/10