I am a certified Olympics junkie, and am thus predisposed to like this movie. However, this movie exceeded my rather inflated expectations.
Ian Charleson in particular deserves mention. He convinced me that he was indeed his character - a very difficult feat to accomplish, especially given the fact that he and his character were so very different. (Charleson, who died of AIDS several years after this film was released, was himself homosexual in real life, but in the movie he plays Eric Liddel, a devout Presbyterian who believes that more truly masculine men are needed to combine the practice of Christianity and outstanding athletic talent. Liddel also believes that it is God's will for him to run in the Olympics, although he refuses as a matter of principle to run on Sundays. One of the better scenes in the movie, in fact, is of Eric Liddel arguing his case with the chief of the British Olympic committee and the Prince of Wales, among others, in an elegant sitting room in Paris soon before he has to pull out of the race being held on Sunday. Liddel later died in China while doing missionary work.)
Ben Cross is perhaps most famous for his role in this movie, as a Jewish Cambridge student with a chip on his shoulder and something to prove. His participation in the 1924 Olympics - and his subsequent gold-medal performance - is driven by this need to prove his worth. Of the two lead characters, the Jewish Cambridge student becomes the elder statesman of the Olympic movement in Britain. It is his memorial service that begins and ends the movie.
This movie earned its surprise Oscar victory over Warren Beatty's REDS, the predicted favorite for 1981. It draws a portrait of two human beings with tremendous athletic talent who had highly individual motives for wanting to become Olympic competitors.
Director Hugh Hudson's absorbing drama based on a true story deals with the personal struggles faced by two very different long-distance runners compe...More at Family Video
The true story of two British track athletes competing in the 1924 Summer Olympics. One is a devout Scottish missionary who runs for God, the other is...More at Legends Are Forever
PriceTool.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources,
so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
