Time Magazine
Like every element in this picture, the actors look right; they seem to emerge from the past, instead of being pasted on to it, as so many characters in historical movies seem to be.
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Chariots of Fire
British sports classic, based on the true story of the English athletes preparing for, and competing in, the 1924 Summer Olympics. Winner of four 1982 Oscars including Best Film. The slow motion running scenes and Vangelis' score are iconic and unforgettable. Now try and get the theme out of your head. You can't? You're welcome.
1981Rating: PG124 minsUK
DramaSportTrue Story & BiographyClassic
- Director:
- Hugh Hudson ('Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes', 'Revolution', 'I Dreamed of Africa')
- Writer:
- Colin Welland
- Cast:
- Nicholas FarrellNigel HaversIan HolmIan CharlesonBen CrossDaniel GerrollJohn GielgudAlice Krige
Chariots of Fire | Awards
Best Film, Screenplay, Costume Design and Original Score at the Academy Awards 1982; Best Film, Supporting Actor (Holm) and Costume Design at the 1982 BAFTAs; Best Foreign Film at the Golden Globes 1982; Best Supporting Actor (Holm) and Prize of the Ecumenical Jury (Special Mention) at Cannes Film Festival 1982; People's Choice Award winner, Toronto Film Festival 1981
Chariots of Fire | Reviews
82%74 reviewsRotten Tomatoes® Score
All reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Total Film
[An] airless saga of university toffs building themselves up to run for God and country at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris.
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Time Out
Really this is an overblown piece of self-congratulatory emotional manipulation perfectly suited for Thatcherite liberals.
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The Guardian
A bold, intelligent, romantic film with all the lineaments of a classic, and a score by Vangelis as instantly hummable as the music for Jaws.
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Roger Ebert
This is strange. I have no interest in running and am not a partisan in the British class system. Then why should I have been so deeply moved by Chariots of Fire?
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Little White Lies
An odd, malformed antique that still manages to retain a certain surface-level charm.
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BBC
Now, 20 years later, it's dated. In some ways that actually benefits the film as its true age somehow helps its 1920s setting but other aspects suffer.
Full reviewChariots of Fire | Release Details
Chariots of Fire is available to stream in Australia now on Google Play and Apple TV and Disney+.