Chariots of Fire

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Chariots of Fire

PG

Released Sep 26, 1981

2h 3m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

84%

Tomatometer

115 Reviews

80%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

In the class-obsessed and religiously divided United Kingdom of the early 1920s, two determined young runners train for the 1924 Paris Olympics. Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson), 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 (Ben Cross) overcomes anti-Semitism and class bias, but neglects his beloved sweetheart Sybil (Alice Krige) in his single-minded quest.

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Critics Consensus

Decidedly slower and less limber than the Olympic runners at the center of its story, Chariots of Fire nevertheless makes effectively stirring use of its spiritual and patriotic themes.

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Ed Potton

Times (UK)

Never, with the possible exception of Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible, has running looked so cinematic.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 26, 2024

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Pauline Kael

The New Yorker

The picture is a piece of technological lyricism held together by the glue of simpleminded heroic sentiment; basically, its appeal is in watching a couple of guys win their races.

Jul 18, 2022

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David Denby

New York Magazine/Vulture

A handsome, well-acted, frequently charming film that would not be out of place on Masterpiece Theater. In other words, it is precisely what art-house audiences want at the moment -- a cautious, "distinguished," slightly boring good movie.

Jul 18, 2022

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Brian Viner

Daily Mail (UK)

Chariots Of Fire is one of the glories of British cinema...

Rated: 5/5

Aug 8, 2024

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Mark Johnson

Awards Daily

The opening scene, thanks in large part to Vangelis’ immortal score, is cinematic beauty in the highest form.

Jun 27, 2023

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Edward Porter

Sunday Times (UK)

It is a film that understands the sweetness of victory...

Feb 27, 2023

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Bruno V

I was astonished when I saw the movie as a 14 year old boy in 1981 and it is still my favourite movie in 2024. The spiritual power of the movie is timeless.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/30/24

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Brady S

Prepare to see how Eric Liddell can run so fast with such bad form and the answer is he swims on air and runs in the Scottish hills. Also see a love story between a Jewish guy and a Actress.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

11/13/24

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Rosana B

Quando a trilha sonora transcende ao filme(que me causa tamanha emoção), um bom filme, mas que torna se desinteressante a medida que a expectativa criada ao seu redor sucumbe as cenas quase tediosas dos treinos, relacionamentos familiares superficiais dos protagonistas, embora seja uma belíssima biografia (engessada) e uma bela homenagem, retrata também o início dos jogos Olímpicos na era moderna, entretanto a vida pós-filme dos protagonistas foi ainda mais admirável...

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/08/24

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jim t

I was a dedicated runner when I first saw this film and for me it was a religious experience. Viewed later and more objectively, it is an impeccably crafted British film showcasing an innocence and idealism we no longer have. It touches on the issue of amateurism and perhaps fore shadows our current system of school athletes being paid. Still, the bookend running scene on the beach is what heaven would be like to many of us runners.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/16/24

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Robert H

This film inspired me when I first saw it as a child and still inspires me now. It is about so much more than people running and winning races. It is about character, determination and having principles (increasingly rarer qualities these days) and it is a story beautifully told with an incredible theme tune. Everyone should give it a try.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/07/24

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Alex F

Objectively, this is a very uninspiring, slow moving film that did not captivate me in the slightest. The best part of this film is the soundtrack and even then, the only notable/memorable song is the famous tune associated with this film.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

07/12/24

Full Review

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Hugh Hudson

Director

Ben Cross

Harold M. Abrahams

Ian Charleson

Eric Liddell

John Gielgud

Master of Trinity (as Sir John Gielgud)

Nigel Havers

Lord Andrew Lindsay

Nicholas Farrell

Aubrey Montague

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Synopsis

In the class-obsessed and religiously divided United Kingdom of the early 1920s, two determined young runners train for the 1924 Paris Olympics. Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson), 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 (Ben Cross) overcomes anti-Semitism and class bias, but neglects his beloved sweetheart Sybil (Alice Krige) in his single-minded quest.

Director: Hugh Hudson
Producer: David Puttnam
Screenwriter: Colin Welland
Distributor: Warner Home Vídeo, 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Warner Brothers, Allied Stars
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama
Original Language: British English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 26, 1981, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Aug 1, 2016
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2010
Runtime: 2h 3m
Sound Mix: Surround

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