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schneefinkI watched the documentary "Red Army" today! I'd heard about it, but assumed it was only possible to watch it at festivals (and I forgot to check during the Viennale.) They were only showing it once today in a small cinema in Vienna. (Apparently a wider release is planned for January.) I wouldn't have noticed if D. hadn't told me, and we reserved tickets because we assumed that everyone interested in hockey in Vienna would be there. Unfortunately D. got sick, and ER also couldn't make it, so I went on my own. We wouldn't have needed to reserve tickets, there were probably only between 30-40 people there. The announcer welcomed the Vienna Capitals, but I didn't see them, maybe they were on the balcony.
Verdict: if you're at all interested in hockey, or Soviet/US history, or sports and politics, go see this movie. It's well made, very informative, and gave me many feelings about Soviet hockey players.
A lot of the movie focused on Slava Fetisov. I'd only heard his name in passing before: the only Soviet players I could name before the movie were Kharlamov, Tretiak, and Larionov. At the beginning of the movie Fetisov started to speak, then a list of his awards appeared, at first slowly, then more quickly until almost the whole screen was full.
It's amazing how symbolic hockey became as a sign of which country's system was better. It doesn't make any sense! But that's one of the powers of sports.
Wow, Soviet style hockey was so pretty! The passes, the cycling, more blind passes - beautiful. Whenever they showed a clip I just stared.
Their training methods however - wow. 11 months a year only training, often not being allowed home, training four times a day... Add to that a coach they don't trust and who doesn't respect them, ouch. No wonder Mogilny said he felt treated like a dog. Nobody said anything good about Tikhonov the whole movie. In contrast, Fetisov going back to train with Tarasov when he couldn't train anywhere else was touching. Not that Tarasov wasn't also a very brutal coach.
Fetisov's interview was fantastic. His facial expressions! When they showed the Miracle on Ice, but in contrast after the 1981 Canada Cup or the Olympic gold medals his smirk was great. The clip of Gretzky saying that they just can't beat the Soviets was a nice touch.
They introduced the original Russian Five: Makarov, Krutov, Larionov, Kasatonov, and Fetisov. What a group, what beautiful hockey. And Fetisov&Kasatonov is a story like written for the movies: teammates, d-partners, roommates, best friends, brothers almost - and then Kasatonov's betrayal when he sides with Tikhonov over Fetisov. Being accidentally united in New Jersey. And later becoming friends again, with Fetisov appointing Kasatonov to a position at their old club.
Fetisov's way to the NHL, wow, what a crazy story. That must have been so hard - and it all could have ended very differently! Even in those late years I can't imagine that the minister of defense saying he'll send you to Siberia was an empty threat.
And then he and the other Soviet players finally came to North America and were received very badly there - I wanted to hit Don Cherry. No wonder they were confused by this different style! They felt like losers for the first time, ouch.
But, happy ending: Detroit! Cup wins! I don't understand why other teams didn't try to copy what they were doing if it worked so well? It's probably really hard to learn. No wonder so many Russians grew up as Detroit fans.
They showed how many Russians were picked high in the draft, but Fetisov also said that it's different now, especially their sense of patriotism; and over the video clip of Ovechkin's target practice destroying matryoshka dolls Fetisov said that they lost their souls. I mean I kind of get it, that would have been taboo back then, but I also got defensive of Ovi.
Fetisov later went into politics as Putin's minister for sports, and he was very earnest in saying that they have to promote sports and especially hockey, that they even got the Olympics in Sochi. Wow Russia not even getting a medal must have hurt :( Fetisov and the other ex-players, but when I imagine Ovi and Geno knowing that they disappointed their idols that they grew up watching... ouch.
(And now I want someone to write me Yuletide fic.)
Verdict: if you're at all interested in hockey, or Soviet/US history, or sports and politics, go see this movie. It's well made, very informative, and gave me many feelings about Soviet hockey players.
A lot of the movie focused on Slava Fetisov. I'd only heard his name in passing before: the only Soviet players I could name before the movie were Kharlamov, Tretiak, and Larionov. At the beginning of the movie Fetisov started to speak, then a list of his awards appeared, at first slowly, then more quickly until almost the whole screen was full.
It's amazing how symbolic hockey became as a sign of which country's system was better. It doesn't make any sense! But that's one of the powers of sports.
Wow, Soviet style hockey was so pretty! The passes, the cycling, more blind passes - beautiful. Whenever they showed a clip I just stared.
Their training methods however - wow. 11 months a year only training, often not being allowed home, training four times a day... Add to that a coach they don't trust and who doesn't respect them, ouch. No wonder Mogilny said he felt treated like a dog. Nobody said anything good about Tikhonov the whole movie. In contrast, Fetisov going back to train with Tarasov when he couldn't train anywhere else was touching. Not that Tarasov wasn't also a very brutal coach.
Fetisov's interview was fantastic. His facial expressions! When they showed the Miracle on Ice, but in contrast after the 1981 Canada Cup or the Olympic gold medals his smirk was great. The clip of Gretzky saying that they just can't beat the Soviets was a nice touch.
They introduced the original Russian Five: Makarov, Krutov, Larionov, Kasatonov, and Fetisov. What a group, what beautiful hockey. And Fetisov&Kasatonov is a story like written for the movies: teammates, d-partners, roommates, best friends, brothers almost - and then Kasatonov's betrayal when he sides with Tikhonov over Fetisov. Being accidentally united in New Jersey. And later becoming friends again, with Fetisov appointing Kasatonov to a position at their old club.
Fetisov's way to the NHL, wow, what a crazy story. That must have been so hard - and it all could have ended very differently! Even in those late years I can't imagine that the minister of defense saying he'll send you to Siberia was an empty threat.
And then he and the other Soviet players finally came to North America and were received very badly there - I wanted to hit Don Cherry. No wonder they were confused by this different style! They felt like losers for the first time, ouch.
But, happy ending: Detroit! Cup wins! I don't understand why other teams didn't try to copy what they were doing if it worked so well? It's probably really hard to learn. No wonder so many Russians grew up as Detroit fans.
They showed how many Russians were picked high in the draft, but Fetisov also said that it's different now, especially their sense of patriotism; and over the video clip of Ovechkin's target practice destroying matryoshka dolls Fetisov said that they lost their souls. I mean I kind of get it, that would have been taboo back then, but I also got defensive of Ovi.
Fetisov later went into politics as Putin's minister for sports, and he was very earnest in saying that they have to promote sports and especially hockey, that they even got the Olympics in Sochi. Wow Russia not even getting a medal must have hurt :( Fetisov and the other ex-players, but when I imagine Ovi and Geno knowing that they disappointed their idols that they grew up watching... ouch.
(And now I want someone to write me Yuletide fic.)
no subject
Date: 2014-12-04 12:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-12-04 09:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-12-04 01:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-12-04 09:23 am (UTC)I found a good article about the film and Soviet hockey that bemoans that hockey is so much less beautiful today, and in a way I agree.