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February 21, 2006

Chariots of Fire 
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Eric Liddell: I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.

Wahhhh! Amazing theme! Amazing characters (real people too!). Amazing movie. At times difficult to follow BUT amazing performances, great running scenes and an uplifting theme will surely get you in the mood. If not, the theme music will. Do catch it. It will get you in the Olympic mood albeit a bit too early. Must write a review!

Anyway an intro before my actual review. Below are the facts of the real people in the movies ...


A very handsome man indeed. Looked like the actor. And died so young!

Eric Liddell [1902 - 1945]
As a university student in Edinburgh in the early 1920's, Eric Liddell had to divide his time between his studies and athletic pursuits that included running and rugby. He decided to focus on running.
With a unique sprinting style, Liddell won the Scottish Championship 100 and 220-yard sprints from 1921 to 1924, and also dominated those events in the Triangular International Contests (including England and Ireland) three years in a row. Liddell joined the British Olympic Team going to Paris in 1924. His performance there would reveal the Scot's athletic prowess and spiritual integrity to an international audience.

At the Paris Olympics, Liddell dropped out of his best event, the 100-yard dash, because qualifying heats were being run on a Sunday. Liddell entered himself in the 400-yard dash. Instead of participating in the heats, he preached a sermon at a Paris church. The 400-yard run was not what he had trained for, but Liddell finished 5 yards ahead of his nearest competitors, setting a world record at a time of 47.6 seconds. He attributed his win to God.

Eric Henry Liddell was born on the 16th of January, 1902 in Tientsin, North China. His parents were missionary workers in China. As a young boy, he was educated at Eltham College. The headmaster remarked that the boy was "entirely without vanity."

After his triumph at the Olympics, Liddell travelled to China where he was ordained as a minister in 1932, and married the following year to Florence Mackenzie. Eric and Florence had three daughters, who all live in Canada.

As political tensions in China increased, Liddell's family left the country, but he remained to continue his missionary work. In 1943, Liddell was interned in a Japanese camp in China. He suffered a brain tumor there, and died in 1945.

The critically-acclaimed 1981 film, Chariots of Fire, is based in part on the story of Eric Liddell.

Wow! Didn't know! What a runner!

"The scene in the movie where Liddell fell early in a 400 race in a Scotland-France dual meet and made up a 20-metre deficit to win the race is historically accurate. Liddell's unorthodox running style, with his head back and his mouth wide open, is also said to be historically accurate."

More great facts on this Flying Scotsman and interesting picture HERE.



Looked like the actor!

Harold M. Abrahams [1899-1978]
in full Harold Maurice Abrahams British athlete who won a gold medal in the 100-metre dash at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris.

Abrahams was born into an athletic family; his older brother Sidney represented Great Britain in the Olympics in 1912. Abrahams participated in the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp but did not win a gold medal. Competing for Cambridge University from 1920 to 1924, he won a series of victories over Oxford in sprint and long jump events. In 1924 Abrahams began an intensive training program under the direction of athletics coach Sam Mussabini. Just one month prior to the Olympics, Abrahams set a British record in the long jump, although he preferred the sprint and was excused from competing in the long jump in Paris.

At the 1924 Olympics, Abrahams defeated heavily favoured American competitors including Jackson Scholz and Charles Paddock, the latter the defending Olympic champion and world record holder. His main British rival in the sprint, Eric Liddell, was a devout Christian and did not run in the 100-metre event, which was held on a Sunday; Liddell instead ran in the 400-metre, winning the gold medal. Abrahams shared a silver medal as a member of Britain's 400-metre relay team. Liddell's and Abrahams' experiences at the 1924 Olympics provided the subject of the 1981 film Chariots of Fire, which emphasized Abrahams' Judaism and portrayed his victory as a personal triumph over anti-Semitism.

Abrahams suffered an injury in 1925 that ended his athletic career. He later became an attorney, radio broadcaster, and sports administrator, serving as chairman of the British Amateur Athletics Board from 1968 to 1975. He wrote widely about athletics and authored a number of books, including The Olympic Games, 1896-1952.

Harold Abrahams died in Enfield.

And read about the artistic license used to ermmm bend a few facts in the movie to very good results.

A bit on the actors.

Ben Cross as Abrahams

Still alive. Still acting.

Ian Charleson as Liddell
Arghhh! Can't find the screencaps for this actor in this movie!

My sister so like this actor. She kept saying he has got the gentlest face in show business and that he actually do look like a man serving God. I had to agree. Very gentle face. Sad indeed he died in 1990. My sister said because of AIDS. Doesn't matter. A wonderful actor. A tribute by Sir Ian McKellan himself.

Oh yeah, download the theme music at http://media.point2e.com/theme_chariotsoffire.mp3 and let us all do the slow mo running!!

Excuse me please whilst I run slow mo to the famous theme of this movie ...