Red Army
Directed by Gabe Polsky
A hockey documentary that plays out like a Cold War thriller? It seems like an impossible feat, but filmmaker Gabe Polsky pulls it off with often thrilling results.
Charismatic former Russian captain Slava Fetisov sets the tone early – Polsky attempts to ask a question while the hockey legend is scrolling through his phone and, clearly annoyed by the director’s probing, promptly flips him the bird.
It’s a delightfully real moment that illustrates the kind of protagonist Fetisov is as he chronicles one of the most fascinating chapters in athletic history, where culture and politics were at a crossroads in Mother Russia.
Starting in the late ‘70s, Red Army weaves the spellbinding tale of Russia’s national, military-run hockey club that rose to world domination in its heyday due to rigorous, sometimes brutal training and ruthless coaching tactics. Many stories are recounted as former players detail their struggle to break free from the Iron Curtain, some even defecting to the NHL at great personal risk.
Polsky constructs the film impeccably. Incredible archival footage of the playmakers (aided cleverly by enhanced sound effects) along with interviews from individuals, including former Detroit Red Wings coach Scotty Bowman and a former KGB agent, give the documentary a kinetic pace that is always enthralling.
The brilliance of Red Army lies in its context; one does not need to be a traditional hockey fan to appreciate the socio-political parallels drawn in this compelling examination of a fading era. Polsky has crafted something truly insightful and endlessly entertaining.
