Unlimitedia Sick Product of a Sick System

BoardChiri Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

Gurlyndrobb While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Janis One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Kirpianuscus 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.

gavin6942 Two British track athletes, one a determined Jew and the other a devout Christian, compete in the 1924 Olympics.So, yeah, this is a movie that is probably better known for its soundtrack than its actual plot. That Vangelis theme? Can you even count all the times it was used and parodied? No, because no one can count that high. And yet, how many of us can name the runners in the 1924 Olympics, some of whom are featured prominently here? Almost none of us.How this film rocked the Academy Awards is a bit of a mystery, though the 1980s were a strange time, especially for movies. This is a really good film, but the best one of 1981? Doubtful. (Then again, even today the Academy does seem to pick the right choice... that is a rather rare event.)

goreilly40 I enjoyed this movie thoroughly, the stories of the two athletes Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddel are captivating, both having to make extreme sacrifices often at their own personal expense. The tension in the build up to the final races could be felt while watching it, particularly the 100 meters when the finalists are getting ready in the changing room. Although it was a real shame to see another Cambridge athlete Douglas Lowe who won gold in the 800 meters refused to be involved in the film. Also as a sports fan, I was disappointed that the main star of the 1924 Olympics was not even mentioned, the Phantom Finn Paavo Nurmi, who astonishingly won the 1500 and the 5000 meters within one hour of each other, setting Olympic records in both events, and Ville Ritola who also did a double of his own the steeplechase and the 10,000 meters while finishing second behind Nurmi in the 5000 meters. Bit of a mistake excluding the Flying Finns but as this movie was about British athletes, maybe that's why we only saw glimpses of them dominating their events during Eric Liddel's monologue when we see the Cambridge athletes struggling to compete. Anyway exclusions aside this movie is well worth a watch, its inspirational and it shows if your willing to work for something you can achieve anything if you set your mind to it.

brchthethird Continuing my streak of past Best Picture winners, I took the opportunity to watch (for the first time) CHARIOTS OF FIRE. While it's about as unchallenging and "white bread" as you can get for this type of fare, it still remains an inspirational sports drama and character study that explores the reasons behind wanting to achieve greatness. The two points of comparison are Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross) and Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson), the former a British Jew and the latter a Scottish Christian. Both have intensely personal reasons for wanting to win the gold in the 1924 Olympics. Harold is in it for personal achievement as a way to transcend the anti-Semitism he experiences, while Eric runs for God. Although the film sets them up as rivals, they only ever compete against each other once, and not in the Olympics (they are in separate events). This actually works in the film's favor, though, as this allows the audience to root for the success of both. It goes without saying that the acting is all top-notch, and the cast contains a who's-who of famous British actors. Aside from the two leads, you have John Gielgud and Ian Holm in supporting roles as the Master of Trinity and Harold's coach, respectively. Then there's the iconic theme by Vangelis which is certain to inspire you. Even if this film isn't too well remembered, the theme music is, and it's one of the most stirring ever composed. There is also the excellent use of slow motion during the racing scenes. Although it's been parodied and spoofed dozens of times since, here it remains free of irony and is a brilliant way to showcase the physical form of the competitors. The only thing I can think of that really dampens the experience is how simplistic and "safe" the film is. It's not really a surprise that the Academy chose it as the Best Picture for its year, but it could have explored its themes of patriotism and spirituality with a little more depth. The story itself was also very predictable (as sports dramas often are) and its resolution a foregone conclusion. Still, what really makes the film worth watching is what happens in between, the journey to the Olympics that its two leads embark upon. Overall, it's not necessarily the best sports movie I've ever seen (nor the most memorable), but it's a wholesome and endearing film that should appeal to all ages.