Movie of the Week: Icarus

Alexa: By now, many people are at least somewhat familiar with the Russian state-sponsored doping scandal. But whether you know little about it or you’ve researched it thoroughly, there is lots to unpack in “Icarus.” This documentary feels like two distinct films. It was originally envisioned as an experiment by director Bryan Fogel, who decided to try doping while training for a cycling race and film the process to illustrate doping’s effects. That initial premise comprises the movie’s first act, but it quickly pivots when news breaks that Grigory Rodchenkov, who was helping Fogel with his experiment, was an integral part of Russia’s state-sponsored doping program. The quick shift in tone is distinct, but I think the first act, while perhaps a bit long, is essential because it establishes the friendship between Fogel and Rodchenkov, and that relationship is what drives the movie’s emotional core. I don’t typically like documentaries in which directors insert themselves into the action, but in this case Fogel’s involvement is organic. “Icarus” is as much about Rodchenkov as it is about doping. It’s a fascinating portrait of this brilliant and offbeat guy who was complicit in systemically helping athletes cheat. But you feel the weight of his decision to atone by coming forward with his story at the expense of his own safety, and what results is both a riveting portrait of Rodchenkov’s own experience and a thoughtful examination of the elaborate system that made this kind of high-level cheating possible. Part character study, part thriller and part investigative exposé, “Icarus” is compelling storytelling.

Joel: This movie actually reminded me a little bit of Lost in La Mancha that we watched last year, at least in terms of how it’s set up. It’s clear that the filmmakers had an idea for a movie that turned into something very different during the filmmaking process. For the first act of the movie, we can see the idea of what this movie was supposed to be about (Much like how the early part of Lost in La Mancha felt like it was intended to eventually end up on the DVD extras) but as the movie progresses it changes into something else that seems entirely different.

It’s this change from a documentary about doping in cycling to a story about the Russian doping scandal and more specifically Grigory Rodchenkov that really elevates this movie. I’ll admit I was eyeballing the runtime of this movie warily at the beginning. I wasn’t sure that the original idea needed two hours worth of footage to get its point across, but when the reveal of the Russian scandal and the “real” movie kicks into gear, everything seems to fall into place. Credit goes to the filmmakers who were able to realize that in the process of making their documentary, a different story than expected was unfolding, and were able to shift their focus allowing the story to develop the way that it did and ultimately resulting in a stronger movie.

Chris: I’m reminded of a documentary that’s well known throughout the pro wrestling world called “Wrestling with Shadows” where a camera crew had been following Bret Hart for months and months and I’m not sure what the original intention was but the end product was they had footage backstage of the infamous Montreal Screwjob that WWE probably never would’ve allowed to see the light of day. The point being, the original intent behind the documentary was thrown out the window when something way bigger just happened to break while they were recording. Fogel could’ve easily cut out the beginning of this doc and focused only on the initial investigation, Rodchenkov’s escape and exposing Russia’s state-run doping operation. However I loved the inclusion of this because it gives the viewer the full picture of how all of this fell into place and it acknowledges the friendship between Fogel and Rodchenkov and it keeps the purpose of the documentary in focus: Remembering Rodchenkov. There are two times Rodchenkov leaves Fogel and both times, right before he walks away, Rodchenkov tells Fogel “remember me” because there’s a real chance in both cases that they might not see each other again. So with Rodchenkov in witness protection, Fogel releases this documentary so that we all remember Rodchenkov and the work he’s done, risks he’s made to expose this truth about Russia. So in the end, it is an important story to tell not only because of the conspiracy committed by the Russian government but at its core, it’s an important story of one friend honoring another friend that he may never see again. I don’t think I could’ve believed this if Icarus was a work of fiction, it seemed almost too far fetched and convenient that they met right when everything broke but here we are, real life is bizarre.

Jason: So this ended up being more interesting than I thought it was going to be. I am not a sports guy. I don’t even watch the Olympics when they roll around. I just… don’t. So much so that I knew nothing of the Russian doping scandal. (Let it be known that I also don’t follow current events as closely as I probably should…) I jumped into this one thinking it was going to be a documentary looking at the famous dopers of the sports world. Snore. But I was interested in the original premise of the film with Fogel wanting to understand what it does to an athlete’s body more intimately. The building of his relationship with the Russian mad scientist was just a part of it. And then came the turn where it was really a film about international scandal, espionage, and governmental cover-ups.It just so happened that Fogel was already making a movie with this guy and that he could capture the heart and soul of a Russian defector who wanted to atone for not only his own sins but the sins of his country. Watching something like this, it is easy to see why Russia, despite all the repairing they’ve done since the Cold War, are still portrayed as the world’s big bad guys. I am sure the Russian people are a lovely people but their government is corrupt all the way to the top. And it is so stereotypically corrupt, it almost seems like fake. Putin is a caricature of man at this point. And his top officials are no better. Seeing one man who had played a huge part in the whole conspiracy want to come clean and actually succeed in toppling the house of cards he helped build was refreshing.