Family of Olympic hero Eric Liddell fear his devout Christianity will be downplayed in new Chinese-funded film of his life
ERIC LIDDELL, whose Olympic exploits inspired the Oscar-winning film Chariots of Fire, is the subject of a new drama called The Last Race.
Toby McDonald
Joseph Fiennes stars as Olympic hero Eric Liddell in The Last Race
THE family of Olympic hero Eric Liddell fear Chinese film-makers will ignore his religious faith in a new movie of his life.
Liddell raced into sporting immortality as the devout Christian who refused to run on a Sunday, with his performance inspiring the Oscar-winning film Chariots of Fire.
Now Chinese producers are making The Last Race, about the missionary's death in a Japanese internment camp, starring
Shakespeare in Love star Joseph Fiennes.
But they've admitted the runner's profound religious beliefs "will not be emphasised" in the film.
His niece and Liddell family spokeswoman, Sue Liddell Caton, said: "Without the Christian element in him, it just doesn't sound like Eric Liddell.
"I would find it strange if there was no reference to Christianity.
"His whole life was based on the Christian belief – certainly when he went back to China. My grandfather was a missionary in China and a Reverend and so was Eric.
"He was definitely a Christian who upheld those ideals. He may not have been trying to convert people to Christianity but certainly his work was Christian-based.
"I would be very surprised if his faith wasn't mentioned."
Sue, who met the production company in Edinburgh but did not see a final script, added: "I had originally thought it was going to be for Chinese consumption and nobody else would see it.
"But then they said it was going to be a Hollywood blockbuster and that they would have the premiere in Edinburgh.
"You hope they don't embellish it too much."
Eric Liddell at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris
She said makers Alibaba – who backed Tom Cruise's latest Mission Impossible film – had promised a substantial donation to the Eric Liddell Centre in Edinburgh, of which she is patron.
She added: "It's amazing what an inspiration Eric's story has been. The film Chariots of Fire brought him to a new generation and it caught the imagination of everyone. And it has never died since then."
Eric was born in China in 1902 to Christian missionaries James Dunlop Liddell and his wife Mary, originally from Drymen and
Greenock.
His commitment to his religion meant he would not train on a Sunday but still built a glittering sporting career.
He won Olympic gold in the 400m in Paris in 1924 but refused to take part in the 100m because he would not run on the Sabbath.
He returned to China to become a missionary and continued his work after Japan invaded in 1937.
In 1943 he was held in an internment camp with about 2000 other Westerners in Weifang. Liddell gave up his place in a prisoner swap for a pregnant woman and died in the camp of a brain tumour just before the war ended.
The film, directed by Stephen Shin and written by Michael Parker, has been shot in Canada, Britain and China, where atheism is promoted.
Michael said: "Eric wasn't evangelical in terms of pushing Christianity on others.
"He was who he was and, as much as possible, that will be portrayed in the film."
Fraser Quinn, chief executive of the Eric Liddell Centre, a charity who aid dementia sufferers and their carers, said: "It will be great publicity."
Question -1 of 5 Score -0 of 0
What has San Francisco public works director Mohammed Nuru done to combat urinating in public?
Quick response teams are on duty to arrest offenders
Walls have been painted with a special repellent paint making pee spray back on the offender
Walls have been set up with taser-like defence systems
Thanks for taking part in this quiz You scored Replay quiz
Sunday Mail News