Chariots of Fire

Chariots of Fire is a British film released in 1981. Written by Colin Welland and directed by Hugh Hudson, and 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 taken from William Blake's poem The New Jerusalem

Plot

The movie is based on the true story of two British athletes competing in the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. Englishman Harold Abrahams (played by 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 metres. However, Liddell drops out of the event because his Christian convictions prevent him from running on a Sunday. Liddell is allowed to compete in the 400 metres instead. The story is deceptively complex, and compares the similar athletic experiences of Abrahams and Liddell while portraying their vastly different characters and reactions to adversity.

Related Topics:
Athlete - 1924 Summer Olympics - Paris - Englishman - Harold Abrahams - Ben Cross - Anti-Semitism - Eric Liddell - Ian Charleson - Christian convictions - Sunday

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