ChicRawIdol
A brilliant film that helped define a genre
Borgarkeri
A bit overrated, but still an amazing film
StyleSk8r
At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.
Rumo Odprirody Pohan
Sorry to say, I was very disappointed with this movie. Having managed to persuade a hockey legend and a politician of Russia to agree to partake on a "hockey documentary" is unfortunately the biggest achievement of Gabe Polsky on this title. I was really hoping to see and hear a lot more about the golden CSKA Moscow era and how it supplied the Soviet hockey team with the core of their succcess, but there is literally zero mentioning of this in the movie. The setting of the ambiance and the interviews are in my opinion quite overdramatized and it is obvious from the reactions of the interviewees they felt the same way. This could have been a far better film if more space was given to players from other countries who were confronted with the soviet team.
paulpolak
Excellent biopic of of the Soviet Union's Red Army, as seen through the eyes and memories of great defenseman Slava Fetisov.Some of the previous negative reviews I think missed the point -- this was a film about Fetisov and the other players forming the "5-man" unit, a concept that is very Russian and is pretty much unheard of today in NHL hockey (possible exception of power play units notwithstanding). References to 1972 Summit Series would be out of place -- Fetisov was 22 for the 1980 Miracle on Ice, and it would be remiss to not mention the dominance that team would go on to have. Beating Canada in the Canada Cup final in 1981 (8-1!) was a testament to how good that team was. I should mention that Canada team included Wayne Gretzky, Mike Bossy, Guy LaFleur, Gilbert Perreault... a veritable "who's who" of NHL stars at the time, and all Hall of Famers now.Very revealing in what is said about Tarasov, his innovative coaching techniques, his sheer love of the game was obvious. Most shocking moment for me was to compare the affection Fetisov had/has for Tarasov, and the dislike (probably hatred is a better word) for Tikhonov. Watch his eyes narrow and expression change when Gabe first mentions Tikhonov.Fascinating to see the inner torment Fetisov had -- he is clearly a patriot who loved his country. Yet he was a virtual slave to a system that allowed him to play the sport he loved. His affection for his teammates is matched by his dislike of his coach, despite all the success he had with the team. He left the Soviet Union and joined the NHL, presumably because he wanted something for himself, but was branded here a "communist" and treated with no-little amount of contempt by opponents and even new teammates. I remember the press of the day and it was not positive (in general) to the newly arrived Russian players to the NHL, although foreign players (Swedes, Finns, Czechs, Slovaks) were already playing in the NHL for some time.Seeing film of Russian kids playing hockey made me think that could have been taken from almost anywhere in Canada. It was a nice moment.Part of me yearns for those days when "our" game and "their" game really were different. Now the game is more homogenized -- Canadian players at the NHL level are praised for their skill level (Crosby), while foreign players have often taken a more physical approach to their game and are successful (Ovechkin, Malkin).I grew up watching and playing the game, so it would seem to me to require some amount of "hockey-sense" to get the most out of this film. And yet, reading some of the former reviews by those who claim to know little/nothing about hockey indicates that maybe that criticism is unfounded.It's just a great documentary, very tight pacing and enjoyable. See it.
Paul Allaer
"Red Army" (2015 release; 78 min.) is a documentary about they heydays of the Soviet national hockey team (nicknamed the "Red Army") of the 1980s. As the documentary opens, we are introduce to Slava Fetisov, the poster child of that hockey team during that time. After some quick introductions to the tensions and rivalry between the US and the USSR in the cold war-era, we quickly get down to business and are told the story in a pretty straight-forward manner but which showcased again that at times facts are stranger than fiction. To tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.Couple of comments: first and foremost, this is NOT a documentary about the "Miracle on Ice" 1980 Olympic game between the US and the Soviet Union (it is deal with in a matter of a few minutes in the documentary), so if you're expecting major attention to the Miracle On Ice, you are bound to be disappointed. Indeed, the beauty of this documentary is that the focus is almost entirely on the Soviet hockey players, as the documentary advances based on their own retelling of the events. Second, you may wonder whether this documentary is worth watching if at best you are a casual hockey fan, no worries. I am at best a casual hockey fan myself, but the documentary is so much more than about hockey: it's about the state of the USSR in the 70s and 80s, it's about people living within that system, it's about the prison-like conditions in which these celebrated hockey stars/national heroes lived day in, day out (they lived away from home in "hockey camps", which truly were like prisons, 11 out of 12 months of the year, just mind-blowing), etc. In short: this is a HUMAN story/documentary, not a SPORTS story/documentary. Kudos to writer-director Gabe Polsky for his laser-sharp focus on the Soviet characters, all along while displaying a nice sense of humor and tongue firmly planted in cheek. The amount of propaganda for the hockey team in the Soviet media was unparalleled. At one point, we see a group of younger/junior hockey players sing a song on Soviet TV, where they deliver the lines "Real men play hockey/Cowards don't play hockey" without any sarcasm. Just priceless. The last part of the documentary deals with the possible approval by the Soviet politburo to allow these player to go to the NHL. Fetisov's tale will have you shaking your head... Last but not least, I notice that Werner Herzog is credited as an Executive Producer of this documentary. I am a big fan of his non-fiction films, and he rarely is off the mark. As soon as I saw his name in the opening credits, I was quite certain that I'd be in for a good time. And I was."Red Army" opened last weekend without much pre-release fanfare or advertising at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati, and I'm happy to report that the evening screening I saw this at a few days ago was surprisingly well attended, given that it was a weeknight. Hopefully the positive word of mouth will carry this "little documentary that could" to a wide audience. Bottom line: "Red Army" is a delightful documentary that will entertain and amaze you from start to finish. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
byaljoe
I was aware of the hype surrounding Red Army since Cannes this year. However, the fact that I knew so little about hockey cast doubt on whether it's worth to see or not. Stellar ratings and reviews on IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes eventually convinced me to see it at AFI Fest last week...and I was totally blown away by it. For starters, hockey is still the main theme here. However, it's not the only dominant element. Gabe Polsky utilized hockey to explore many facets of life such as family, friendship, politics, and patriotism. Furthermore, he found the perfect, complex main character in Slava Fetisov to build the narrative around. Depicted as a poster boy for the Red Army, Fetisov emotionally exposed individual and collective struggles of being a member of the USSR athletic system whilst uncovering the direct link to a larger force at work behind it that is Soviet government. There's no flat moment and it kept me entertained from start to finish. The fact that it has garnered serious Oscar buzz before widely released shows that Red Army is a must-see documentary, whether you're a hockey fan or not.
