b'CHARIOTS OF FIRE and the Renaissance ofthe British Film IndustryThe early 1980s were for many people a difficult time. The country was struggling economically, Britain had lost its place as a major geopolitical power, and football hooliganism tarnished the Beautiful Game. Margaret Thatcher was in No 10, and was regarded by many as a polarising Prime Minister, with unemployment at nearly 30% for under 18s.The British film industry was also on itsalso an insight into British social knees, as very few films were being made inhistory in the inter-war years. this country, and British actors, artists andOne athlete is Harold Abrahams, musicians were having to go abroad to worka furiously competitive young and to find career opportunities. English Jew and University of I remember vividly when Chariots of Fire wasCambridge law student, the other, released in 1981 because, as a sports-mada dedicated young Church of youngster who also loved film and cinema,Scotland preacher and missionary this was the perfect tale of triumph overnamed Eric Liddell, who explains adversity, underdogs taking on and defeatingwhy he runs: God made me for a a system bigger than themselves, a greatpurpose, as a missionary; He also story of two outstanding British athletes whomade me fast.triumphed at the 1924 Olympic Games. The challenges and triumphs In fact, when Chariots of Fire was premieredof Abrahams and Liddell in Chariots on 30th March 1981, at a Royal Filmof Fire were filmed entirely in the UK, with Performance in London, just months beforethe setting for the Paris Olympic stadium,Nominated the Royal Wedding of Prince Charles andthe Stade de Colombes, which hosted thefor seven Academy Lady Diana Spencer, the whole Olympicathletics finals, actually filmed at an oldAwards in 1981,won four movement was under serious threat. Thestadium called Bebbington Oval on the WirralOscars, including Best Picture for David 1980 Moscow Olympics had been boycottednear Liverpool. Indeed, two of my neighboursPuttnam and Hugh Hudson, and Best by the USA and many of its allies, followinghere in Birmingham once told me that theyOriginal Screenplay for Colin Welland, who the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979.were actually extras in the film, and werefamously waved his Oscar statuette in the air With the city of Los Angeles set to host theasked to dress in 1920s attire and act as partlike a battle mace and declared: The British 1984 Summer Olympics, it was alreadyof the Paris crowds.are coming! The film did indeed give a huge clear that the Soviet bloc countries wouldThe film was a sensation when it wasimpetus to the British film industry, leading reciprocate and boycott the Americanreleased and its stars, Ben Cross andthe way for a number of British films to follow Games. At the height of the Cold War,Ian Charleson, for a short while becameand achieve critical acclaim and commercial Chariots of Fire would now recall the world ofhousehold names. Not only could theysuccess. Distinguished amongst these was 1924, a world still recovering from World Waract well, but they were also good athletes,Sir Richard Attenboroughs Gandhi in 1982, One, a conflict which had been depicted asand so made the race scenes even morethe monumental biopic of the life of Mahatma the war to end allengaging. Indeed, the film achieved thatGandhi, whose leadership of peaceful wars. rarity of being popular among the generalresistance against British rule led to Indian public, while also receiving praise from theindependence. It won a staggering eight notoriously difficult-to-please film critics. OneOscars, including Best Picture in 1982, and challenge for film buffssee if you can spotrepresented a further massive boost to the Oscar-winner Sir Kenneth Branagh, whoBritish film industry. Further British successes made his first big-screen appearance inwould follow throughout the 1980s, withChariots of Fire, as one of the universityBest Picture nominations for The Killing students at Cambridge!Fields, A Passage to India, The Mission,A Room with a View, and My Left Foot.The film was conceived by BritishChariots of Fire remains an iconic film, a film producer David Puttnam, whostory of a summer from yesteryear, in fact commissioned Colin Welland to writeexactly 100 years ago. It is also a movie that what became an acclaimed originalopens a window into the pre-nuclear, pre-screenplay, and then assigned a directorcommercial air travel, pre-cyberspace world new to feature films, Hugh Hudson, to bringof 1924. Undoubtedly it will be shown at the story to the screen. some time over the next few months as the Welland was a former teacher, who had2024 Paris Olympics approach. If you have The film was released in cinemas in 1981turned to acting and film writing after anever seen the film, I urge you to sit back, and caused huge excitement. It remains anumber of years working as an art teacher.relax and enjoy it. classic, featuring not only the backgroundHe was best known at the time for havingMr Conway,story of two British track gold medallists whoacted in the BBC police series Z Cars, andDeputy Headteacherwon glory for God, King and country, butalso for playing a sympathetic teacher in the British film Kes. 10'