Les Ailes de la Victoire

My wife and I watched this movie at home on DVD from our public library.

In 1981 was a movie "Chariots of Fire". The IMDb synopsis is "Two British track athletes, one a determined Jew, and the other a devout Christian, compete in the 1924 Olympics." That Christian athlete was Eric Liddell (lid-uhl) who set a record but refused to compete in trials scheduled on a Sunday.

This movie "Wings" is a continuation of that story some years later as Liddell has returned to China, where he was born to British missionaries, to teach. Joseph Fiennes plays the role of Eric Liddell and most of the movie is during WW2 when the Japanese have imprisoned many of them.

It is a good study of who Liddell was and how he likely sacrificed himself to provide freedom for others. Not a pleasant movie but a meaningful one.

It is a sketch. Or, maybe, a drawing, but not the expected portrait. The acting is good, the storytelling resonable, the message touching, but something significant is missing. The good point remains the beautiful reflection of the faith of Liddell. Sure, a low budget and a too familiar theme. But the tragedy remains far to the viewer and all is reduced ar sort of resume. So, a decent film about the last part of the life of a champion and beautiful reflection of Christian faith in difficult times.

This film picks up where "Chariots of Fire" (1981) leaves off with the Olympic champion Eric Liddell (Joseph Fiennes) now a missionary in the land of his birth - now war-torn - China. When the Japanese invade, he is initially fêted - well fed and looked after, but that is all part of the ultimate game of humiliation as he is basically being groomed for a race against "Xu Niu" (Shawn Dou). This is quite an interesting depiction of just how this man's Christian faith and sense of decency were pitched against the ruthlessness of his captors who used both physical and psychological methods to reduce their captives to jelly. Whilst this certainly hints at those atrocities, the whole look and feel of the film is just a little sterile and Fiennes isn't really up to much in the lead. Somehow his strength of faith and purpose is lost in a really mediocre production that never quite gets going properly. Based in fact, it does offer us a truth about the truly shameful ending for this man of principle, but perhaps a remake with a better cast, writing and more vision from a director who understands how to better deliver a story of a complex individual would leave us feeling better fulfilled. Watchable, but forgettable I am afraid.

A good, if not great film. Could have been a lot better but some great scenes and glimpses of a wonderful man with a faith lived very well. So many Christians give Jesus a bad name but Eric Liddell lives with compassion, sacrifice and courage. Well worth a watch.

I bought this movie with great excitement. Having read much on Liddell and sharing his Christian faith I was hopeful of a movie telling of his faith and endurance and life as a missionary in China. Alas this was beyond disappointing. The depiction of Liddell was simply pathetic. His faith was barely mentioned and the accounts of his life in China I have read were not well presented. A better effort by more informed film makers will hopefully be made one day. This was not that movie.