Cheap Chariots of Fire (Full Screen Edition) (DVD) (Ben Cross, Ian Charleson) (Hugh Hudson) Price

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Customer Reviews of Chariots of Fire (Full Screen Edition)

Chariots of Fire is the excellent story of two runners (Eric Liddell, portrayed by the late Ian Charleson and Harold Abrahams who is played by Ben Cross)in the 1924 Olympic Games.

It is an understated epic showing the dichotomy of faith and self determination. It is also two fine character studies of men blessed with as much courage and fire as they do athletic prowess.

The overall effect of the film is inspirational. The stories of these great men inspire me and I believe countless others to always live life to its utmost. Two scenes stand out in my memory that illustrate this effect.

The first takes place at a track meet between Scotland and France. Liddell takes a bad spill in the 400 meters event and somehow manages to not only get back up but catch up with the field and win the race as he falls to the ground utterly exhausted form his ordeal.

When Sam Mussabini (Abrahams' Coach) comments "It's not the prettiest 400 I've ever seen Liddell but it is certainly the bravest" the audience is given words with which to process the exhilarating feat they just witnessed.

The second scene takes place after Abrahams loses a race to Liddell. Abrahams is devastated as he has never lost before. He comments to his girl friend that he won't race of he can't win. She counters back: "You can't win if you don't race."

Whether it be in words or pictures Chariots of Fire communicates to the viewer that life is a race worth running full out to the end.

Uplifting and Inspiring
"Chariots of Fire" makes the list of my ten favorite movies of all-time. The film depicts the true life journey of two sprint champions from the 1924 Paris Olympics. This isn't your average sports movie as the character development is more significant than the competition on the track. The "Flying Scotsman" Eric Liddell is man of deep moral conviction and joyful heartfelt devotion to God. As he runs he senses God's pleasure. Harold Abrams is an intense Jewish student at Cambridge who is driven to win in defiance of the obstacles of prejudice and institutionalism. He runs to prove his worth.

The film is slow moving and filled with numerous flashbacks. Knowing the history of the characters would enable you to better follow the story and appreciate the men portrayed. The acting is excellent with terrific performances by supporting actors such as Ian Holm as track coach Sam Mussabini; John Gielgud and Lindsay Anderson as the stuffy masters of the university; and Nigel Havers as the likeable Lord Lindsay. The electronic sounding musical score is the most recognizable part of the movie and the costuming is exceptional. I was deeply moved and inspired by "Chariots of Fire."

Competition and Character
Chariots of Fire is an outstanding epic based on the lives of two men (among others), Eric Liddel and Harold Abrahams. Eric Liddel, a Scotsman and a missionary believes he can succeed as a testament to his undying faith. Harold Abrahams, a Jew wishes to succeed to prove that Jews are no inferior to others in post WWI England. This movie is one of refinement, ambition, commitment and integrity. In that era, there are tempers when the Masters of Cambridge do not take lightly to Harold being trained by a professional as they pride in the amateur aspect of the sport and the esprit de corps. His interaction with his girl friend when he loses a race is a special point. She says, "He won fair and square. There is nothing you can do about it." Then he retorts, "I do not run to compete, I run to win, if I cannot win, I should not run." She replies, "If you do not run, you cannot win." It ends with her frustration and saying, "Grow up". As compelling as the racing scenes are, it's really the depth of the two main characters that touches the viewer, as they forcefully drive home the theme that victory attained through devotion and sacrifice is the most admirable feat that one can achieve.

I am glad that I have a wide screen edition of this DVD, however this is a region 3 and cannot play in a regular DVD player, as they play only the region 1 version. It is similar to the version released in UK. Even this version does not have a good audio and video transfer. There are dots in the video and the audio should be better considering the outstanding score by Vangelis. The widescreen edition is farbetter than the one released in US though. I am sad that they are not releasing this one here. I got this one in US through another website, thanks to my enhanced DVD player. So, I would give 5 stars for the movie and 4 stars for the transfer (I am being very generous here).