Think about it. Think about this film without the music. Would it have still won? I think the music, particularly the theme song, was the major attraction to this film back in '81. I think it's a good film, don't get me wrong, just maybe not Best Picture worthy. Reds or Raiders was far more deserving and important films.
Conquer your fear, and I promise you, you will conquer death.
I'm a big fan of Vangelis and I have to say that aside from the score this movie is rather forgettable.
Blind dissent is as foolish as blind patriotism.
I agree with you. But, everyone has their own tastes. I tend to think without Vangelis score it would not be remembered very well. After a current viewing, the performances are rather flat and Reds or Raiders should have won. Much more compelling films.
Conquer your fear, and I promise you, you will conquer death.
It was a very well done film, regardless of the soundtrack.
Think about this, the setting is early-mid 1920's, there were no electronic keyboards or synth's around back then, the music definitely does not fit the time period.
They could've use some strings to perform the racing sequences, it wouldn't have been "happy Vivaldi" strings but tension mounting music, the film would have survived and perhaps be better respected today, 1- for not relying on the Vangelis piece, and 2- for having a sound track suited to the time period.
The world was keyboard crazy in the early 80's, soundtracks like Keith Emerson's "Nighthawks" Giorgio Moroder with "Scarface" and we had Miami Vice on TV that set the final sequence to music which people tuned in to just to see the end. It has become jaded by now and "Chariots of Fire" would most likely be a more respected film without the Vangelis music (as wonderful as it is).
With that said you have very good argument that "Reds" should have won the Oscar, they were both epics but "Reds" was probably the better film. I happened to have been reading "The 10 days that shook the world" by Jack Reed for a college paper at the time that the film came out, and I was blown away, the film definitely did the book justice.
My Top 50 Films http://www.imdb.com/list/ls033211402/
I've read the book as well and Reds definitely does it justice. I read the book after the film, it inspired me to seek it out. Interestingly I was watching Spies Like Us the other night and saw a Reds film poster in the background during the Chevy Chase interrogation scene in Russia. Funny reference.
shareThe movie would never have won the oscar without the music. A forgettable movie with a great score.
Film addict. But very suspicious of IMDB ratings!
Idiotic topic. Songs have lyrics. There was no SONG in this movie, so it won without benefit of song.
shareThey didn't really open up with the theme music until the end credits. Which surprised me because it's been years since I last watched it and I was expecting them to pump it up for the final races - I'm sure that's what they'd do these days.
Even so, it's a very strong way to end the film and probably influenced the way people remembered and voted for the film.
It’s not a “song.” There are NO lyrics. It is a tune.
shareso Beethoven created tunes and not songs? lol
#fail
At last! It sinks in. That is EXACTLY what Ludwig did, except for in the fifth movement to his Ninth Symphony (called “ The Choral”) where he used the lyrics lyrics from Schiller’s poem, Ode To Joy.
Words matter.
I’m making this a separate post. All you folks mewling “Raiders should have won” and “Reds should have 1” are overlooking an important point. This was released in 1982–the very dawn of the jogging craze and the Boomers throwing ourselves into fitness. If you don’t think THAT resonated with audiences, think t.f. again.
shareThe "jogging craze" goes back to the late 1970's: Jim Fixx published The Complete Book of Running in 1977 and it was on best-seller lists for the next few years.
And to stay on topic, Chariots of Fire is a masterpiece and fully deserving of the Best Picture Oscar.
facts matter too. lets stick to the facts.
shareThat makes the assumption of a different composer behind the film score. Well, what if that alternate composer was Ennio Morricone, Barry Goldsmith, John Williams, John Barry, or even Carmine Coppola (The Black Stallion was an awesome film score). You really can't assume now can you?
shareI saw this movie when it came out. I didn't really like it. It was not bad, but I never saw a solid story or characters in it that I cared about. So, to your point, I do think the music was the major factor in its success, and of course hoity-toity promotion they way they with certain movie they want to give a certain adult serious shine to.
... and now I realize I clicked on this at the top of the list and it is 9 years old. LOL
The reason that Chariots of Fire was successful was because it had heart. The music was great, but that's not enough. I first saw it in the mid 90s when I was 10 years old, and it has been my favorite film since because it inspired me. Eric Liddell became one of my heroes, and he changed my life. I even became a high school and college runner, and his example as a devout Christian stayed with me throughout the years. Now that I have studied him in depth, I know that his real story is even more inspiring than in the film.
shareI don't begrudge someone else for having a personal connection to any movie and liking it. Just speaking for myself.
shareI don't think so either. The opening and closing scenes on the beach are really the best scenes in the movie (IMO), thanks in large part to Vangelis' great theme.
By the way, I stumbled upon this video the other night and I've probably watched it 50 times since then. It pretty much encapsulated the movie in 3 minutes and 21 seconds. My oldest son is a cross-country and high-school track runner...I need to watch this movie with him and see what he thinks about it (he's 15):
https://youtu.be/CSav51fVlKU?si=4VvHCSukMiuzXKJy