9/10
Half sports documentary, half spy novel
26 March 2019
It's not unusual for a sports documentary to allude to the values or politics of a community, but it is rare for one to explore both global political themes as thoroughly as it immerses itself in the local tribalism of sports. This film unfolds a specific corner of the picture of the Cold War through the journeys of five men who left the Soviet Union to play hockey in North America. We find out about the risks they each took and the people who risked political and professional threats to bring them to the other side of the Iron Curtain

The producers of this film have a great deal of access to the players themselves and the American team officials that brought them to the US, so we get the story told in their own words as well as views of contemporary news coverage and the players' North American team mates. We get to see the events and recall the emotions of the era and we have the perspective of history to see their lasting impact on the game of hockey.

This movie has a lot for fans of the Detroit Red Wings, but any fan of the NHL or international hockey will likely find the story riveting
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