On this episode, we continue our Summer Olympics themed sports movie mini-tournament with the 1981 Best Picture winner Chariots of Fire. An historical drama, Chariots of Fire offers a little dash of everything: an epic Vangelis score, pastoral shots of Scotlands' heath and heather, anti-semitic and anti-Protestant hostilities, and stuffy Cambridge rituals. It is as much about class and social stratification and micro-aggressions in post WWI Great Britain than it is about Olympic running. However, despite its lofty ambitions, soaring electronic backdrop, and Oscar winning accolades, Hugh Hudson's dual biopic may very well be one of the most overrated sports movies and Best Picture winners of all time. That doesn't mean it is not a good or worthwhile watch/listen, though. It just means it is overrated. For more context and depth about our opinions on this matter, check out the latest episode of Cinematic Underdogs!
