Red Army (film)
| Red Army | |
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 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Gabe Polsky |
| Produced by |
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| Written by | Gabe Polsky |
| Starring | |
| Music by |
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| Cinematography |
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Production company | |
| Distributed by | Sony Pictures Classics |
Release dates | |
Running time | 84 minutes[1] |
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| Box office | $694,600[2] |
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[3] and was released in limited theaters by Sony Pictures Classics on January 23, 2015.[4] Directed by Polsky, the film tells the story through the eyes of team captain Slava Fetisov.
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.[5]
Background
The film relates the Soviet Union's dominance of ice hockey during the Cold War.[6][7]
Release
Red Army made its North American debut at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival and was released in American theaters by Sony Pictures Classics.[8] The film is about the Soviet-Russian game from the 1950s to its deterioration in the 1990s. The film was screened in the Special Screenings section of the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.[9]
The film was the only documentary included in the official selections at the 2014 Telluride,[10] Toronto,[11] New York,[12] and AFI,[13] film festivals. Red Army won Audience Awards at the 2014 AFI,[14] Chicago[15] and Middleburg film festivals.[16] The film was selected as the Opening Ceremony film of the 2014 Moscow International Film Festival.[17]
Reception
Red Army is one of the best reviewed films of 2014, maintaining a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 76 reviews.[18] On Metacritic, the film has an 82 out of 100 rating based on 32 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[19]
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”.[20] Time magazine said: "this playful, poignant film presents a human story that transcends decades, borders and ideologies".[21] Scott Feinberg of The Hollywood Reporter called the film "one of the best documentaries that I have ever seen".[22]
References
- ↑ "RED ARMY (15)". British Board of Film Classification. July 14, 2015. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
- ↑ "Red Army (2015)". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. April 6, 2015. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
- ↑ "Cannes Film Festival".
- ↑ "Sony Pictures Classics".
- ↑ "Film Review: 'Red Army'". Variety. May 17, 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
- ↑ "Cannes 2014 review: Red Army - the cold war, on ice". The Guardian. 16 May 2014. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
- ↑ "Red Army documentary a compelling and riveting film". thehockeynews.com. September 2, 2014. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
- ↑ "Sony Pictures Classics Acquires Russian Hockey Doc ‘Red Army’". Variety. April 22, 2014. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
- ↑ "Spotted at Cannes: Ice to Go With Steam". The New York Times. May 18, 2014. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
- ↑ "Telluride Film Festival".
- ↑ "Toronto International Film Festiavl".
- ↑ "New York Film Festival".
- ↑ "AFI Fest".
- ↑ "AFI Fest".
- ↑ "Chicago International Film Festival" (PDF).
- ↑ "Middleburg Film Festival" (PDF).
- ↑ "Moscow International Film Festival".
- ↑ "Red Army". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
- ↑ "Red Army". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
- ↑ Scott, A. O. (November 14, 2014). "'Red Army,' the Rise and Fall of a Soviet Hockey Dynasty". The New York Times. p. C13.
- ↑ "Time Magazine".
- ↑ "The Hollywood Reporter".
External links
- Red Army at the Internet Movie Database
- Red Army at Box Office Mojo
- Red Army at Rotten Tomatoes
- Red Army at Metacritic