Customer Reviews

Anna's Army: Behind the Rise of Russian Women's Tennis

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This is a jewel of a documentary. It takes you behind the scenes into the world of today's young female Russian tennis stars who are dominating the women's tennis tour in the wake of Anna Kournikova's rise to celebrity stardom. It has amazing footage of the players as children; candid interviews (don't miss Anna's interview) and includes an angle on the history of tennis in Russia. This is a must-see for all sports fans. It is beautifully produced and is hard to take your eyes off.

OK, I'm not going to lie, I bought this because I happen to think that Russian girls are the hottest thing on the Planet! Russian, Eastern European, Ukraine, whatever...THATS the woman for me. My fellow Comrade Americans would probably call me a sell out Pinko, but I don't care! Beauty does NOT know politics! I only know what I see and it's hardly debatable that Russian girls are HOT! I'll take a Kournikova and a Sharapova over a Britney Spearsva or a Angelina Jolieva any day...va!

So, thats why I originally bought this dvd. But what I actually found is this is an EXCELLENT documentary on why there is such a huge line of talented tennis players coming out of Russia. It also shows life in Russia today...something our media never shows.

Buy it or rent it...it's well worth seeing!

How has Russia, a non-factor in world-class tennis for the sport's first 75 years, suddenly produced four players ranked in the women's top 10 and eight in the top 20 and three Grand Slam singles champions in 2004? This enlightening film answers that fascinating question and is one of the best tennis documentaries I have ever seen.
It does a particularly masterly job of taking you inside the Russian system and showing you what it was like for these young girls to train in the Soviet and post-communist eras. You see, for instance, the leading Russian players training in 1989 with obsolete wooden rackets on dilapidated courts and gain insights from their families and coaches.
The film is full of highly entertaining and colorful quotes from some of the most important figures in Russian tennis. In contrast to many of the superficial pieces seen on television about the "Russian Revolution," Philip Johnston and Peter Geisler went the extra mile to take you inside the Russian system and show you how incredibly small and interconnected the tennis community there is. You learn, for instance, that Anna Kournikova, Anastasia Myskina and Elena Dementieva trained in the same age group from the age of 5 and grew up with Marat Safin, whose mother was one of their coaches.
I particularly enjoyed the attention paid to the historical development of tennis in Russia, from rare footage of Tsar Nicholas II's family playing tennis to vivid contemporary footage of today's leading players and rising juniors. The past is superbly connected to the present by top Russian experts, such as Anna Dmitrieva (the first Soviet player to compete abroad) and Olga Morozova (1974 Wimbledon and French Open finalist), who, until recently, coached Dementieva. The piece is also full of incisive commentary from many leading figures in the sport, including Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King, Chris Evert and Nick Bollettieri.
This DVD is an immense accomplishment that is both visually and intellectually compelling. Even if you believe you know all about the "Russian Revolution," odds are you do not know nearly as much as you think you do until you have seen this film.
As a veteran tennis writer, author of two tennis books, and a certified USPTA teaching pro, I highly recommend this must-see and reasonably priced documentary for anyone interested in tennis.

This DVD is sooo cool. These girls have it all -- talent, looks and a fighting spirit. Oh yeah, and a WHOLE LOT of attitude. Girls Rule!! The interviews and film of Anna and Maria are amazing. The part I didn't expect, though, is all the new ones. Everyone knows Kournikova and Sharapova. They were first and made women's tennis popular. But after seeing this film I don't think they will be considered the best or even the most beautiful. This film rocks.

How in the world has this documentary remained such a complete unknown to tennis fans, particularly women's tennis fans? Before viewing this DVD I anticipated seeing an OK production that would at least provide me with some nice film sequences of such Russian favorites as Anna Kournikova, Elena Dementieva and Maria Sharpova. However I was soon to discover that this wasn't one of those quickie releases attempting to capitalize on the sex appeal of a few popular Russian lovelies. On the contrary, it's a serious, well conceived and highly informative documentary examining the roots and primary causes for the recent, rapid rise of talented young Russian women tennis players. The documentary examines the following 6 areas:

- Introduction
- History
- Today's Pros as Kids: Spartak
- Yeltsin and The Window to Freedom
- Femme-Fatale Cultural Icons
- The Coming Wave & Education

You can immediately tell in one glance at this table of contents provided on the Main Menu that this isn't going to be just another opportunity to leer at Kournikova in tight shorts. While only 51 minutes in length the viewer will be amazed at how much one will learn by the time the closing credits roll by; the history and evolution of tennis in Russia, the political and social climate that fostered the athletic dreams and hopes of so many young girls and the players ongoing assimilation into the world-at-large outside the Motherland.

Even more amazing to me is the magnificent filming of the subjects and surroundings, the up close intimate, substantive camera work during one-on-one interviews or public appearances by the players offers perspectives and images you'll never see anywhere else. You will be treated to wonderful old footage of many of the players at a very young age when they first started playing, interviews with their coaches and some fascinating cinema of the subways, streets and communities which spawned this future stars and tennis icons.

I can't say enough good things about this DVD documentary. Every tennis fan should own a copy, I'm glad I do!