Chariots of Fire

In the class-obsessed and religiously divided United Kingdom of the early 1920s, two determined young runners train for the 1924 Paris Olympics. Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson), a devout Christian born to Scottish missionaries in China, sees running as part of his worship of God's glory and refuses to train or compete on the Sabbath. Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross) overcomes anti-Semitism and class bias, but neglects his beloved sweetheart Sybil (Alice Krige) in his single-minded quest.

• Best Picture Oscar Winner 1981.
• Best Picture BAFTA Winner 1981.

Critic Reviews:

• " It reminds us of the affirmative aspects of life, of the hope that endures in it as well as the cynicism. " – Bruce McCabe

• " Despite its bombastic tendencies, Chariots has a healthy glow that's charming. " – Gary Arnold

• " The film is not just about the race between Abrahams, the Jewish law student (Ben Cross), and Scottish missionary Eric Liddell (the late Ian Charleson). It's a character study and a social history too. " – Derek Malcolm