The Russian Five | 3 out of 4 Stars| Not Rated
By Kyle Osborne
The true test of whether a sports documentary has done its job comes down to this: did the filmmakers make you care about the athletes on a team in which you are otherwise completely uninterested? Legendary sports programmer Roone Arledge pioneered the “Up Close and Personal” vignettes back in the 1970s, wherein the viewer was introduced to an athlete as a three dimensional human being—not just a guy running around a track or throwing a javelin. Now, the viewer had an emotional stake in how well the athlete threw the javelin (or any other sporting endeavor).
The documentarians behind The Russian Five may not roll as smoothly as Arledge did, but they have applied the same theory to a story so that it appeals to audiences far beyond the Detroit Red Wings faithful fans.
For decades, the hapless Red Wings broke the hearts of their true blue fans-but a new owner in the 80s, and the eventual hiring of hardcore front office types and a legendary coach, began to turn things around. But it was the hiring of former Soviet stars, directly from the Motherland, that turned the “Dead Wings” into champions.
We get to know them personally, these icemen come in from the cold-we get to know how their style of play is clearly at odds with the rock ‘em, sock ‘em method of the Motor City. The journey ends up being exhilarating and unexpectedly poignant. Interviews with surviving members are great, best of all, though, is the input from actor and uberfan Jeff Daniels.
I was a little skeptical at first that The Russian Five could hook me, I had no personal interest in the team from those days, but it grows on you. You might find yourself with a lump in your throat before all is said and done.