Miracle Film Analysis

The film Miracle portrays one of the most significant moments in U.S Olympics history. The thought of a group of college hockey players beating the “lab-made” Russians was almost inconceivable at the time. Although this sporting achievement was immense, the political significance of the Americans beating the Russians was far more significant. Following World War II, Eastern and Western nations faced geopolitical tensions, and eventually, entered into the Cold War. While the U.S and Russia never fired a shot during the Cold War, the tension between the two nations was ever-present. The 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid happened to occur in the middle of the Cold War, turning the sporting event into a full-scale political battle. The ongoing Cold War

While Russia was never directly mentioned in the opening scene, the political undertone that these news clips deliver is apparent. The first substantial suggestion of political motivation in the film comes in the scene directly after Jim Craig refuses to take Herb Brook’s psychological test. Assistant coach Craig Patrick and the team doctor are waiting in a long line for gas, which is a direct result of U.S foreign policy during the time. On the radio, a news announcement plays saying the Soviets conducted a nuclear bomb test. The Doc says to Patrick, “it just seems to me that some people will never get along,” referring to the turmoil between the East and the West. Patrick responds to the Doc by saying, “Yeah, like hockey players from Boston and Minnesota,” and then Doc slyly adds, “Our own private Cold War.” In the grand scheme of the film, this scene is crucial as it links the battle between the college hockey players for the U.S with the political conflict between the U.S and Russia. If it was not yet evident that the 1980 Olympics were more than just sports, this exchange confirms