Chariots of Fire

[funthing29]

This is being re-released in anticipation the Olympics.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082158/

Despite being released in 1981, I saw the film for the first time tonight. They certainly don't make films like this anymore! Wonderful, simply wonderful. The soundtrack is bloody brilliant.

I actually had a tear in my eye at the shot of Ian Holm listening to the national anthem and watching the Union Jack being raised.

9.5/10.

[prettyxcool]

Me too, saw it tonight for the first time.

An outstanding film, shame I was so tired and with a thumping headache (due to builders drilling all afternoon, torture!) that I could not give it the attention it deserves. Some fabulous cinematography and the moving music, very familiar even though have never seen the film before. Brilliant cast, younger version of lots of familiar faces, and how well some have aged. I liked all the characters, felt very real. A really well made true story about what drives people on. 8/10

[Beate]

This was alright. The soundtrack is great, and it's a nice, old-fashioned story, but there was some serious religious overkill for me. I read that for something that is supposed to be a true story, too many things have been changed for the movie to make it more dramatic, which is artistic licence but doesn't serve the purpose. The performances were great, but did they really run in that overblown fashion, head back and mouth wide open? Looked unintentionally funny. The guy who played Harold reminded me so much of Rupert Everett - uncanny. It was hilarious to see the fashion of the period but all in all I don't need to see this again.

6.5/10

P.S. Two "resources guides" with DVD to use in your local church group going spare. What do you mean, you don't go to one?

[prettyxcool]

but did they really run in that overblown fashion, head back and mouth wide open?

I thought that too, but it seems they do - found a photo of that winning gold at Paris moment:

[raj101]

lol i remember mimicking that type of run at school sports days. Raj, you plonka.

This film is a bit of a snooze, IMHO, but theres some nice insight into the dapper 30s England costume, the old boy cambridge structures and those lovely obliviously genteel British athletes that used pat each other on the back for winning medals when there wasnt anyone else in the competition from the world to realistically compete against (they'd come last in todays days of more open access, and thats just in pre-competition qualifiers getting crushed by black athletes from london).

Best thing by far is the soundtrack - Vangelis, who is usually a sickeningly horrible composer, really hit the nail this time.