Chariots of Fire
Released in 1981, Hugh Hudson's film is inspired by the Paris Olympics (already!) of 1924 and tells the story of two British athletes: Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell. Known as much for its musical theme composed by Vangelis, to which the 2012 London Olympics will pay a beautiful tribute, as for its shots of runners on the beach, beyond carrying the values of the Olympics, the film is a beautiful reflection on friendship, the weight of convictions and British society. Four Oscars up for grabs (out of seven nominations). A cinema classic, therefore.
• Chariots of Fire, available on Prime Video, France.tv or on Blu-Ray from Fox
Rasta Rockett
In a completely different genre, Jon Turteltaub's 1993 film tells the incredible story of the Jamaican bobsleigh team at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. , the pitch of this film is crazy, but often reality surpasses fiction. Although a pure Disney product, the film nonetheless remains a great success beyond a simple family comedy. Funny, moving and inspiring, Rasta Rockett is an anthem to team spirit and perseverance.
• Rasta Rockett, available on myCanal, Disney+, Prime Video or on DVD from Warner
Moi Tonya
If Craig Gillespie's film (2017) is not strictly speaking about an Olympics, it nevertheless tells the story of the skater Tonya Harding (superbly played by Margot Robbie, Barbie) and his rivalry with Nancy Kerrigan, notably for the Olympic Games in Albertville (1992) and especially in Lillehammer, four years later. Beyond the acerbic comedy and its mockumentary aspect, the film is a true introspection into the world of figure skating and behind the scenes of sports competitions. Implicitly, it also evokes the hidden class struggle which often takes place between athletes from different social backgrounds.
• Moi Tonya, available on Max, myCanal or on Blu-Ray at France.tv
Munich
In 2005, Steven Spielberg decided to recount one of the darkest moments of the Olympics: the kidnapping and subsequent massacre by the Black September organization of eleven athletes from the Israeli delegation during the 1972 Munich Olympics. Of course, it focuses on Operation Wrath of God, a mission aimed, in retaliation, at assassinating eleven Palestinians involved in the massacre. We can never repeat enough the storytelling talents of the director of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Schindler's List or even The Fabelmans who manages here to accurately pose his (partisan) point of view on the question of the legitimacy of violence in the face of violence, while giving us the breathtaking story of a manhunt and a short summary of geopolitics. Without doubt his most controversial film.
• Munich, available on Netflix, myCanal, Prime Video or on Blu-Ray from Paramount
Jappeloup
In 2013, director Christian Dugary and actor Guillaume Canet decided to pay tribute and tell the incredible story of a horse who was just as incredible, Jappelou. Punctuated by its Olympic moments, from its bitter failure during those of Los Angeles, in 1984, until its consecration at those of Seoul, in 1988, the film is much more than a simple biopic. An ode to the mysterious symbiosis of the rider (Pierre Durand) and his mount, the film manages, at certain moments, to make this inaccessible tangible, despite the easy script and terrible music. A captivating film for some, cold for others.
• Jappeloup, available on Max or on Blu-Ray from Pathé
