Chariots of Fire – Names I Cannot Forget

 

Chariots of Fire – Names I Cannot Forget

I have had my fill of the movie The Ten Commandments. Now, it is for me to get on to another movie, Chariots of Fire. I saw this movie twice, in quick succession, and most importantly before it became viral (though such a terminology did not exist as there were no social media in the early 1980s). I told my apartment mate, who was a cinema connoisseur, that he would enjoy this film. He came back after seeing it, after its Oscar victory, and told me, “Usually a well made movie with strong performances is honoured at the Oscars.” I am not sure I agreed with him, yet noting that he implicitly endorsed the movie.

Now, to the movie and how it affected me, with the story teller straying beyond what really happened, yet walking a tightrope between truth and fantasy and keeping his balance.

Harold Abraham, Eric Liddell, and Sam Mussabini

The above are the three names that I cannot forget. They come and go in the Oscar Winner Chariots of Fire.

But, there is one man who is always present and whose presence, beyond the visual, makes what you see on the big screen come alive–Vangelis. I can Google his real name (even now, I know only this name, and no, not even his last name; quite odd), but that would take away the magic for me.

First some briefs on the three names mentioned earlier. I have no idea whether the incidences narrated in the film did or did not happen. I do not care enough to Google and find out.

Harold Abraham is a Jew. How that would matter, you ask. I respond, “Without that tiny factotum, the movie loses half its strength.”  Well, it maybe a harsh judgement on my part, born into a privileged caste in India, yet the fact that Abraham was a Jew loaded a heavy chip on his shoulders. He did not fight against his Jewry, but merely carried that weight, in public, no scowl on his face though. He must have been seething internally.

The legend had it that anyone who could complete a run around the corridors of a building in Cauis College between the first and last chimes of the tower clock at Noon would win the Olympics (or some such rare accomplishment). Harold Abraham does exactly that. This is where the anti-Semitism of the British comes to the fore. Paraphrasing, one of the powers that be (played by John Gielgud, a favourite actor of mine) who were watching this run of Abraham’s thinks aloud with an air of resignation that perhaps Jews were indeed God’s chosen people.

One instance of Anti-Semitism in bas relief, if ever you wanted one.

One evening, Abraham and his date go for dinner and the girlfriend orders ham, ostensibly unaware that Jews don’t eat pork or perhaps, that he is a Jew. Abraham stoically bears this, but does laugh aloud at the irony.  This adds to the burden on his shoulders of being a Jew.

Abraham hires a track coach, which by itself is anathema to the purists of the charade of Olympics being a contest among amateurs. You see a side-winder at the Americans, who the British call their cousins across the pond, going through a regimented programme of training. It gets worse when it is learned that this coach happens to be an Arab-British.

I hope you agree that now making the Jewry of Harold Abraham is extremely crucial to the development of Harold Abraham’s character.

Eric Liddell thinks he is born to be a messenger of God. And his mission is to exhibit his Godliness through his athletic prowess. He runs through the hills and dales of Scotland.

As an aside, the scenes are breathtakingly beautiful.

Reverting to the narrative, Liddell has dedicated his life to God and would not brook any interference come what may. This too is crucial to the story line.

He wants to show that he is the greatest runner in the world, all in the glory of God. His chance is the Paris Olympics, 1924. They all set sail and there is revelry on the boat. Abraham joins in but not Liddell. He is aiming not just for Olympic Gold, but for God, you see.

It is announced that Liddell’s finals is scheduled on God’s appointed day, the Sabbath, and Liddell rebels. Here, the foil for Liddell is his sister. She argues, after Liddell finishes one of his training runs, that to be an evangelist one may have to temporarily violate one of God’s injunctions. Liddell would have none of that.

The British Olympic Committee puts its hand up in surrender. But, help is near. In a meeting of the powerful few, someone says with gusto and arrogance, “We are the Olympic Committee,” and they can reschedule the events taking Liddell’s commitment into account.  Arrogance of the imperialists – do not acknowledge the existence of the “others”.

Finally, all is settled and both the marquee names are going to run in the Olympics.

Then, comes Mussabini. I remember his performance only in two short appearances on the screen,

One, Mussabini hits out against the fabled punctuality of the British. When Abraham approaches Mussabini to request to train him, Mussabini agrees but demands punctuality. An Arab-British demanding punctuality from a Brit, though Jewish he maybe? This scene is bound to fly over the theatre audience, but did not me.

The second instance, in his Paris hotel room (maybe he preferred not to see his prodigy run), he hears the roar of the crowd and he just knows or it is announced (I do not recall) that Abraham has won. He then punches the top of his hat through and through leaving a gaping hole! Just a few seconds, but so much was said.

Here comes the final point of appreciation. Vangelis. He composed his score and that was that. It was a movie for reminiscence and one expected grandiose score, if not like in The Ten Commandments, a softer version of it. But, what you got was electronic synthesizer music! Yet, it was music.

The reason I went to see the movie twice was to take in more than what I did the first time, so that it will stay in my mind. Now it is more than 40 years.

And, I am so happy!

Raghuram Ekambarm