To be honest, I thought the focus of this documentary was going to be a behind-the-scenes look at how the Soviet National Hockey Team reacted to the "Miracle On Ice" 1980 Olympics loss to an amateur U.S.A. squad, at Lake Placid. However, I was surprised that the movie really glossed over that event, and instead centered on an inside narrative of the Soviet team itself over a span of several decades.
The great Soviet defenseman Slava Fetisov is really the focal point of the documentary, as he recalls his early enlistment as a child for the team, the incredibly rigorous training once he was selected, and eventually becoming part of the famed "Russian Five", perhaps the greatest quintet of players to grace the ice at the same time. That's just the beginning of the story though, as Fastinov recalls after "Perestroika", believing he would be able to join the National Hockey League, in North America, but how promises by his coach Victor Tikhinov, whom he disliked intensely, were never kept.
After a defection to the West by one of the "Russian Five", and a threatened boycott by other players, Fetisov and other Russian players were finally able to leave and join the NHL. I thought it was quite interesting that even once in the NHL, the players were denigrated by fans, coaches, and even other players. Finally they found a home and great success with legendary coach Scotty Bowman and the Detroit Red Wings.
This documentary was written and directed by Gabe Polsky, who seemed to struggle with his interview style, at times drawing ire from the interviewees, even at one point getting the "middle finger salute" from Fetisov. However, I got the feeling some of this was meant to be seen by the viewers and that the relationship between the two was warmer than depicted.
All in all, despite the rough spots, I found the film insightful and interesting, and I felt I learned quite a lot from it.
The great Soviet defenseman Slava Fetisov is really the focal point of the documentary, as he recalls his early enlistment as a child for the team, the incredibly rigorous training once he was selected, and eventually becoming part of the famed "Russian Five", perhaps the greatest quintet of players to grace the ice at the same time. That's just the beginning of the story though, as Fastinov recalls after "Perestroika", believing he would be able to join the National Hockey League, in North America, but how promises by his coach Victor Tikhinov, whom he disliked intensely, were never kept.
After a defection to the West by one of the "Russian Five", and a threatened boycott by other players, Fetisov and other Russian players were finally able to leave and join the NHL. I thought it was quite interesting that even once in the NHL, the players were denigrated by fans, coaches, and even other players. Finally they found a home and great success with legendary coach Scotty Bowman and the Detroit Red Wings.
This documentary was written and directed by Gabe Polsky, who seemed to struggle with his interview style, at times drawing ire from the interviewees, even at one point getting the "middle finger salute" from Fetisov. However, I got the feeling some of this was meant to be seen by the viewers and that the relationship between the two was warmer than depicted.
All in all, despite the rough spots, I found the film insightful and interesting, and I felt I learned quite a lot from it.