Red Army,
directed by Gabe Polsky
(PG, 85 minutes)
Gabe Polsky's surprisingly moving Red Army is a briskly paced documentary about hockey and politics -- about patriotism and teammates -- that fills in the other side of a story that most Americans, even those who aren't much interested in sports, are at least a little familiar with.
The story of the U.S. Olympic hockey team's victory over the Russian Red Army in the 1980 games at Lake Placid, N.Y. -- the "Miracle on Ice" -- is considered to be one of the great upsets in sports history.
The U.S. victory is often cited as a moral parable in which a team comprised of young American amateurs took down a team of nearly bionic Soviet veterans led by team captain Viacheslav "Slava" Fetisov who were supported by a state system designed to cultivate athletic success at any cost. The Russian team was, according to Ronald Reagan, "a microcosm of their society."
When the U.S. team prevailed, its coach Herb Brooks told then-president Jimmy Carter the victory "proves our way to live is the proper way."
As a sports movie, Red Army is an interesting examination about how the fall of the Soviet Union changed the face of professional sports. But it's also an absorbing and incisive study of the bonds of nation and teams, of individual dreams sublimated for a greater good. Fetisov was a star, in hockey and in life, but there's something in his brusque nature that denies it. "We were the same," he says, speaking of his teammates. From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.
Featuring extensive Soviet archival footage, the film includes interviews with Red Army goaltender Vladislav Tretiak, considered to be one of the greatest goaltenders ever to play the sport, journalist Vladimir Pozner and Scotty Bowman, retired National Hockey League and Stanley Cup Champion coach.
Blu-ray and DVD bonus features include deleted scenes, an interview with hockey legend Scotty Bowman, Q&A with producer/writer/director Polsky and former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul, commentary with Polsky and Werner Herzog, and a Toronto International Film Festival Q&A with Polsky.
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MovieStyle on 06/12/2015