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Brought to life by writer/director/producer Gabe Polsky, this amazing journey tells us the story of one of the former Soviet Union’s most revered (and feared) sports dynasties, the famed Red Army hockey team. Based primarily on the direct recollections of interviewee and Captain of the team, Viacheslav “Slava” Fetisov, we’re drawn into a tale of his childhood amidst a ruined, Cold War-era Soviet Union, his learning to play the sport, the formation of the Red Army team, and the rise of its ultimate coach, the borderline tyrannical Viktor Tikhonov, whom took the team to incredible heights of success, but not to the overall enjoyment of the players under him, given particularly harsh training methods and personality. The story then begins to spin an even deeper picture of how the politics and propaganda of the time shape the destiny and attitudes of Fetisov and his teammates, as the they begins to show world dominance in the hockey arena. This rise to national and international acclaim, however, takes a drastic turn during the 1980 Winter Olympics, shaking the entire team to the core. Broken and humbled, and upon returning to the Soviet Union, Fetisov indicates then how his involvement with the team over the next period of time wavers, friendships begin to fracture, and pressure from the government mounts. By the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, players then had the potential to play in the NHL, and Fetisov weaves a further tapestry of how this opportunity was both a blessing and a curse, given the direction the radically changing Russian culture was taking, America’s view of the players coming over, and how his own decisions altered the course of his life from that point on.
A perfect piece of documentary filmmaking, this truly excellent, well thought out, and completely unique point of view telling of the Red Army team’s history flat out deserves the awards it has already gathered during last year’s festival season. The straight-forward manner as to which Polsky’s questions are posed to Fetisov allow him the freedom to be both whimsical in sharing about the high points of his incredible journey, but likewise highly moved, frank, and emotional during recollections that have had deeply heartfelt, and even stinging, impact on him. Combined with the additional interviews with fellow Red Army teammate Alexei Kasatonov, Detroit Redwings coach Scotty Bowman, other players, and journalists, the overall insider perspective provided to the viewer is simply amazing, especially given that it isn’t common to have the chance to hear about such an fascinating story from this perspective. And it shows us the hardship of what life was truly like in the former Soviet Union prior to 1991 and what these players actually went through, despite being considered national heroes. And the beauty of the archival and current historical footage contained throughout this film keeps adding even more weight to the memories Fetisov is expounding on. The harsh conditions and constant political strain of the Cold War shaped these men and all those around them with a force probably none of us would care to endure. But hearing Fetisov be so open, through sometimes reluctant, to share all of this is ultimately inspiring. “Red Army” is one documentary that richly earns its mettle and viewability.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
