'' 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 taken from
William Blake 's poem "
The New Jerusalem ",
Hubert Parry 's setting of which is played during the film:
: ''Bring me my bow of burning gold!'''
: : ''Bring me my Arrows of Desire!'''
: ''Bring me my spear! O clouds, unfold!'''
: : ''Bring me my Chariot of Fire!'''
Two men chasing dreams of glory!
The movie is based on the true story of two British
Athlete s competing in the
1924 Summer Olympics in
Paris .
Englishman Harold Abrahams (
Ben Cross ), who is
Jew ish, overcomes
Anti-Semitism and class prejudice in order to compete against the "Flying Scotsman",
Eric Liddell (
Ian Charleson ), in the
100 Metre Race . 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 Metre Race instead. The story compares the similar athletic experiences of Abrahams and Liddell while portraying their vastly different characters and reactions to adversity.
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. The scene was actually filmed at
Eton College . Furthermore, in the film the runners succeed in beating the clock, but in fact the only people known to have actually completed the run around the Great Court in time are
Lord Burghley in
1927 and
Sebastian Coe in October
1988 when he beat
Steve Cram in a charity race.
A major historic inaccuracy in the movie surrounds Liddell's refusal to race in the 100 metres. In the film, Liddell 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.
Early in the movie, Liddell is thrown down early in a
Scotland –
France 400 metre duel but recovers to make up a 20 m deficit to win the race; this event actually occurred.
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 in last place). Eric Liddell also ran the 200 m and finished third. As an opening runner for the 4 x 100 m relay team, Abrahams won a second Olympic medal, a
Silver .
Arthur Porritt represented
New Zealand at the 1924 Summer Olympics, winning a bronze medal in the 100 m, but he refused permission for his real name to be used in the film, allegedly out of modesty. In the film, the bronze medalist is a fictional character, Tom Watson.
The character of Lord Lindsay is very loosely based on
Lord Burghley , who was actually eliminated in the heats of 110 metres hurdles in the 1924 Olympics. He did not give up his place in the 400 metres for Liddell. Lord Burghley refused to cooperate with the film because he feared inaccuracies; subsequently, a fictitious name was used.
The original music, which won the movie an Academy Award, was composed by
Vangelis , who employed
Synthesizer and
Piano among other instruments.
The film also incorporates a traditional work: a British choir singing "
Jerusalem " at the 1978 funeral of Harold Abrahams, the event which bookends and presumably inspired the making of the film.
Vangelis's theme tune has proven a popular and memorable tune. It has been used in both sincere ways and in parody. Near the end of ''
National Lampoon's Vacation '' (1983), the family is happily running toward the gate of "Wally World" in slow motion footage under the theme music, much like the beginning and ending sequence of ''Chariots of Fire''.
During the
1984 Summer Olympic Games , an
American Express credit card commercial ("Don't leave home without it") included Ben Cross and the 87-year-old Jackson Scholz. When Cross says something about beating Scholz, the latter remarks, "''You'' never beat me!" with mock indignation. Proving he is "still pretty fast," Scholz beats Cross to the draw in picking up the tab with his credit card.
The English
Rugby League player
Martin Offiah was nicknamed 'Chariots' after the film.
A plaque commemorating the filming of the famous beach scenes associated with the theme tune can be found at the end of West Sands in
St. Andrews where filming for these scenes took place.
- Best Supporting Actor - Ian Holm - won
- Prize of the Ecumenical Jury - Special Mention - Hugh Hudson - won
- Palme D'Or (Golden Palm) - Hugh Hudson - nominated
