Legend No. 17 – The Life And Rise To Fame Of Valeri Kharlamov

Legend No. 17 is a Russian sports film centered on the life and rise to fame of one of the USSR’s greatest hockey players, Valeri Kharlamov, who notoriously led the Russian team to a decisive victory over Canada at the 1972 Summit Series. Face-paced hockey action and suspense drives the otherwise-weak character dialogue, adding more movement to the plot and making the story seem as if it is occurring even faster.

Kharlamov begins playing in the minor leagues, and in 1967, after being scouted by CSKA’s notoriously-tough coach, Tarasov, he is moved to Zvezda, a team in a worn-down area of Russia, to prove that he has what it takes to play in the professional league. After Kharlamov overcomes injuries and political influence, he is able to break through the ice in his cold coach’s heart, and finally understand Tarasov’s methods and reasons for being a tough mentor.

Political power of the Soviet government is evident throughout the film, especially from the character of Balashov, who tries to get close to Kharlamov by offering him money and more fame, in exchange for the hockey player publicly condemning Tarasov. Balashov is an official for the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, and personally dislikes Tarasov for removing his son from CSKA. He fails in his attempts to exert his party influence over Kharlamov to get him to indirectly punish Tarasov.

One of the most notable games featured in the film is a rigged “friendly” match against Spartak, in which CSKA is the victim of bribed referees and a biased point system. Brezhnev himself is an audience member, and coincidentally, is an avid fan of Spartak. Consequently, when CSKA’s coach refuses to lose on purpose in the name of Brezhnev’s spirit, he is released from duty, and pointed out as being a dissident to the Soviet cause. Indirect control and influence on sports was just one of the Soviet government’s many powers within Russian culture. In most cultures, sports and entertainment are havens from political control, but in 1970s Russia, the government exerted its power in the furthest reaches of society.

The real-life Valeri Kharlamov, and his portrayal by Danila Kozlovsky in Legend Number 17Kharlamov’s hockey career occurred during Brezhnev’s rule, the Era of Stagnation, from 1964-1985. During this period, the “thaw” that the Soviet Union had experienced under Khrushchev was brought to a halt, and the state relapsed into economic slowdown and repressed creativity. Athletes, such as Kharlamov and the Olympic Hockey Teams, represented their country with pride in efforts to help re-establish the Soviet Union as the most powerful country in the world. From a cinematic standpoint, the main pitfall of the film is the general trope of sports movies: they are predictable, and save for Rocky Balboa, the underdog always wins. Whether or not you are an avid follower of Russian hockey, you can easily expect that Kharlamov will lead his team to victory. Audience members may notice the historical parallels to another hockey movie, Miracle, a 2004 film centered on the United States’ game against the Soviet Union at the Winter Olympics of 1980. Ironically, Kharlamov was actually on the USSR’s national team, and lost to the Americans during one of the most tense periods of the Cold War. To the Russians, hockey symbolizes a long-standing culture of honor and strength, and most importantly, both “respect” and “fear” instilled in its opponents. Helping to posit Russia as the strongest and most powerful country in the world was one of the main goals for Soviet athletes, but the country as a whole also united in support of national teams and sports, shown through the comical scenes of fans cheering and yelling at televisions throughout the film.

Today, sports still play an integral role in Russian society, especially as Russia continues to assert its dominance in every field of society worldwide. Russians hold immense pride for their country, and many Russian athletes continue to lead their respective sports as icons, like Ovechkin, Sharapova, and Mustafina; “legends” such as Kharlamov helped to establish the Soviet Union as a place of not just political power, but physical and athletic power, where sports play a larger role in bolstering fame and legacy than most other countries.

Legend No. 17 provides a mildly-biased contemporary perspective on how iconic Soviet athletes are still viewed as heroes. Released in 2013, and under Putin’s own praise, the film received multiple awards and accolades, demonstrating how decades later, both young and old audiences alike appreciate one of Soviet Russia’s most legendary athletes.