Red Army

Sony Pictures Classics | Release Date: November 14, 2014

7.7	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 23 Ratings

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ScribeHardMay 28, 2015

Red Army illustrates a masterful balance of telling stories that otherwise would (rightfully) battle each other for attention, coupled with a precision integration of those stories to create a well-paced, cohesive narrative, and wrapped in aRed Army illustrates a masterful balance of telling stories that otherwise would (rightfully) battle each other for attention, coupled with a precision integration of those stories to create a well-paced, cohesive narrative, and wrapped in a terrific collection of clips, pictures, and hockey highlights. All credit to writer/director Gabe Polsky for taking what could have been a half-dozen solid independent documentaries and turning it all into one lithe, 85-minute trip to a past that feels like forever ago, yet one so many of us lived at least part of. This is a can’t-miss doc for laypeople and puckheads alike.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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Brent_MarchantFeb 16, 2015

An excellent documentary about hockey that's not just for sports fans. In detailing the experiences of the Soviet Union's much-celebrated Red Army team, the film also delves into such topics as global politics, human relations, creativity andAn excellent documentary about hockey that's not just for sports fans. In detailing the experiences of the Soviet Union's much-celebrated Red Army team, the film also delves into such topics as global politics, human relations, creativity and teamwork. A surprisingly insightful piece of filmmaking that's also a lot of fun to watch.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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fungusgnatJul 3, 2015

A history of Russian ice hockey over the past several decades. The title is from the alternate name of the national team—the “Red Army Club”—so-called because all team members were also members of the Army. The film covers well theA history of Russian ice hockey over the past several decades. The title is from the alternate name of the national team—the “Red Army Club”—so-called because all team members were also members of the Army. The film covers well the relationships among the hockey team, the government (including the KGB), and Russian society—and, as Russian society opened up, the NHL. Those interviewed include participants in all those sectors and, most importantly, Viacheslav Fetisov, a hockey star who beat his own path. I found this a greatly appealing and engrossing film, and I don’t even like hockey. Polsky sometimes exhibits a disarming amateurism in his interviews when his subjects seem reluctant to speak, while at other times drawing uninterrupted, emotional, focused declamations. It seems he had some Western-centric, going-in assumptions that weren’t entirely verified, but good for him that he made the movie to which his subjects led him. Enormous credit also to Polsky and his editors for extensive montages of photos, clips, music from multiple sources, and fast edits that impart movement and invite engagement. The one smirch is failing to reveal Fetisov’s stake in what we are seeing until near the end; doing so would have helped explain why his earlier answers sometimes have an air of guarded ambiguity about them. All in all, though, this is an impressive look at the club that came out on the short end of the U.S. Miracle on Ice.… Expand

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RalfbergsJun 29, 2015

A good documentary if you didn't know much about Soviet Union's hockey before, but if you did and especially if you have heard of the players and what they have achieved and the regime that was there in USSR for hockey training etc, thenA good documentary if you didn't know much about Soviet Union's hockey before, but if you did and especially if you have heard of the players and what they have achieved and the regime that was there in USSR for hockey training etc, then there's not much new. For me, being used to documentaries that dig deeper and explore more, I felt like this is lacking something. And it skipped through lots of time periods quite quickly too. I think this is more a documentary about Fetisov than about whole Red Army team, but still, was interesting to see.… Expand

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