Chariots of Fire (1981)

Telling the intertwining stories of two runners, Eric Liddel and Harold Abrams, the film leads up to their trials and triumphs in the 1924 Olympics. Liddel is a Christian Scot who believes he has been called to run and he takes his faith very seriously. Abrams on the other hand is a proud Jewish runner who wants to be the best. Liddel is faced with the prospect of running on the Sabbath which goes against his beliefs. Abrams is extremely afraid of failure because running is his life. With those problems they enter the Olympics and end up flourishing for Britain. After the two men are deceased two of their mates reflect on those great days that they experienced together. This film may seem simple but that does not make it any less powerful. The main theme reverberates through your head hours afterwards.

 I would venture a guess that I have seen this film half a dozen to 10 times and each and every time it resonates with me. It is not an overly impressive film, but it is a spiritually uplifting film about a man who stood by his principles and did what he was called to do. Eric Liddel was given the God given ability to run and he used it. However, he also ministered to others throughout his whole life in the U.K. and in China. Harold Abrams is on the complete other side of the spectrum as a Jewish runner who is searching for meaning in his life. I would like to think that he found it. Nevertheless, this is a redemptive film that showcases a Godly man in a wonderful way.

4.5/5 Stars

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receive the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified - 1 Corinthians 9: 24-27