Red Army (2015)
Red Army (2015), directed by Gabe Polsky, starring Viacheslav Fetisov and Vladimir Pozner.
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Synopsis
A documentary highlighting the Soviet Union's legendary and enigmatic hockey training culture and world-dominating team through the eyes of the team's Captain Slava Fetisov, following his shift from hockey star and celebrated national hero to political enemy.
- Peter ZeitlingerCinematography
- Svetlana CvetkoCinematography
- Gabe PolskyDirector, Producer, Writer
- Eli DespresEditing
About the film
Red Army is a 2014 American-Russian documentary film directed, produced, and written by Gabe Polsky, executive produced by Jerry Weintraub and Werner Herzog. It premiered at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival and was released in limited theaters by Sony Pictures Classics on January 23, 2015. The film tells the story of the Soviet Union national ice hockey team through the eyes of team captain Slava Fetisov, in particular the famed 1990s five-man unit known as The Russian Five.
The film details the link between sports and politics. The film also narrates how players were wooed by National Hockey League scouts and eventually flooded NHL rosters. The film is particularly harsh on the ruthless tactics of coach Viktor Tikhonov about whom none of the players have a kind word. Tikhonov died in November 2014.
The movie uses rare archival footage, including children singing "No Coward Plays Hockey."
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Red Army is a 2014 American-Russian documentary film directed, produced, and written by Gabe Polsky, executive produced by Jerry Weintraub and Werner Herzog. It premiered at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival and was released in limited theaters by Sony Pictures Classics on January 23, 2015. The film tells the story of the Soviet Union national ice hockey team through the eyes of team captain Slava Fetisov, in particular the famed 1990s five-man unit known as The Russian Five.
The film details the link between sports and politics. The film also narrates how players were wooed by National Hockey League scouts and eventually flooded NHL rosters. The film is particularly harsh on the ruthless tactics of coach Viktor Tikhonov about whom none of the players have a kind word. Tikhonov died in November 2014.
The movie uses rare archival footage, including children singing "No Coward Plays Hockey."
Background
The film relates the Soviet Union's dominance of ice hockey during the Cold War.
Release
Red Army made its North American debut at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival, following which Sony Pictures Classics acquired rights to the film in North America, Eastern Europe and Asia. The film is about the Soviet-Russian game from the 1950s to the dominance of the 1970s and 1980s and then gradual deterioration in the 1990s. The film was screened in the Special Screenings section of the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.
The film was included in the official selections at the 2014 Telluride, Toronto and New York film festivals. Red Army won Audience Awards at the 2014 AFI, Chicago and Middleburg film festivals. The film was also selected as the Opening Ceremony film of the 2014 Moscow International Film Festival.
Reception
Red Army is one of the best reviewed films of 2014, maintaining a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes with an average rating of 7.9/10 based on 92 reviews. The site's consensus reads: "Fun and fascinating, Red Army delivers absorbing documentary drama for hockey fans and sports novices alike." On Metacritic, the film has an 83 out of 100 rating based on 33 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
A. O. Scott of The New York Times called the film a "stirring, crazy story—a Russian novel of Tolstoyan sweep and Gogl-esque absurdity". Time magazine said: "this playful, poignant film presents a human story that transcends decades, borders and ideologies". Scott Feinberg of The Hollywood Reporter called the film "one of the best documentaries that I have ever seen".
The film was nominated for Best Documentary Screenplay from the Writers Guild of America.
See also
List of films about ice hockey
References
External links
Sony Pictures Classics official site
Red Army at IMDb
Red Army at Box Office Mojo
Red Army at Metacritic
Red Army at Rotten Tomatoes
Text from Red Army (film) on Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Army_(film)
Trivia
- It grossed US$ 694.600 worldwide.
- It premiered on January 23, 2015, a Friday.
- It runs 1h25 — short for a feature film.
- This film's quiz has 11 questions — enough to play more than once without repeats.
Production
- StudiosRussian Film Committee, Gabriel Polsky Productions
- CountriesRussia, United States
- LanguagesRussian, English
- Box officeUS$ 694,600
- StatusReleased
Videos
Cast
-
Viacheslav Fetisov
Himself -
Vladimir Pozner
Himself - Vladimir Krutov Himself
- Alex Kasatonov Himself
-
Vladislav Tretiak
Himself - Felix Nechepore Himself
- Tatiana Tarasova Herself
-
Scotty Bowman
Himself -
Herb Brooks
Self - US Olympic Coach (archive footage) (voice) -
Don Cherry
Self - Hockey Commentator (archive footage) (voice) -
Mark Deakins
(voice) -
Alan Eagleson
Self - Hockey Agent (voice) - Lada Fetisov Self - Wife Of Vladislav Fetisov
-
Anatoli Karpov
Himself - Alexei Kasatonov Himself
- Ken Kurtis (voice)
- Lawrence Martin Self - Journalist
- Igor Rabiner Self - Journalist
- Igor Romishevsky Self - Soviet Hockey Legend
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Tags
Crew
- Peter Zeitlinger Cinematography
- Svetlana Cvetko Cinematography
- Gabe Polsky Director
- Eli Despres Editing
- Kurt Engfehr Editing
- Gabe Polsky Producer
- Christophe Beck Original music
- Leo Birenberg Original music
- Gabe Polsky Writer
Questions about this film
What is Red Army about?
Red Army: A documentary highlighting the Soviet Union's legendary and enigmatic hockey training culture and world-dominating team through the eyes of the team's Captain Slava Fetisov, following his shift from hockey star and celebrated national hero to political enemy.
Who directed Red Army?
Red Army was directed by Gabe Polsky in 2015.
Who stars in Red Army?
The cast of Red Army includes Viacheslav Fetisov, Vladimir Pozner, Vladimir Krutov, Alex Kasatonov and Vladislav Tretiak.
How long is Red Army?
Red Army runs for 85 minutes, or 1h25.
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Page updated on 09/10/2026.
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