| Chariots of Fire | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Hugh Hudson |
| Written by | Colin Welland |
| Produced by | David Puttnam |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | David Watkin |
| Edited by | Terry Rawlings |
| Music by | Vangelis |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | 20th Century-Fox |
Release date |
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Running time | 124 minutes |
| Countries | United Kingdom United States[1] |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $5.5 million (£3 million)[2] or £4,032,859[3] |
| Box office | $59 million (U.S. and Canada)[4] |
Chariots of Fire is a 1981 historical sports drama film directed by Hugh Hudson, written by Colin Welland and produced by David Puttnam. It is based on the true story of two British athletes in the 1924 Olympics: Eric Liddell, a devout Scottish Christian who runs for the glory of God, and Harold Abrahams, an English Jew who runs to overcome prejudice. Ben Cross and Ian Charleson star as Abrahams and Liddell, alongside Nigel Havers, Ian Holm, John Gielgud, Lindsay Anderson, Cheryl Campbell, Alice Krige, Brad Davis and Dennis Christopher in supporting roles. Kenneth Branagh and Stephen Fry make their debuts in minor roles.
Chariots of Fire was nominated for seven Academy Awards and won four, including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Original Score for Vangelis's electronic theme tune. At the 35th British Academy Film Awards, the film was nominated in 11 categories and won in three, including Best Film. It is ranked 19th in the British Film Institute's list of Top 100 British films.
The film's title was inspired by the line "Bring me my Chariot of fire!" from the William Blake poem adapted into the British hymn and unofficial English anthem "Jerusalem"; the hymn is heard at the end of the film.[5] The original phrase "chariot(s) of fire" is from 2 Kings 2:11 and 6:17 in the Bible.
- ^ AFI; Catalog American Film Institute. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
- ^ Alexander Walker, Icons in the Fire: The Rise and Fall of Practically Everyone in the British Film Industry 1984-2000, Orion Books, 2005 p28
- ^ Chapman, J. (2022). The Money Behind the Screen: A History of British Film Finance, 1945-1985. Edinburgh University Press p 314.
- ^ Chariots of Fire at Box Office Mojo
- ^ Dans, Peter E. Christians in the Movies: A Century of Saints and Sinners. Rowman & Littlefield, 2009. p. 223.