Based upon the real-life events of the 1910s, this extremely topical story is about a guy from the lowest social strata, who, in order to be with his beloved woman, had to leave his native land and to start his life anew in Moscow.
Soccer – perhaps better known as non-American football – came of age as an aristocratic sport, like others such as golf and tennis. In these instances, the underclasses found a way to compete successfully. “Wild League” relates such an account with gusto and verve.
The production puts class division on full display in a pre-revolutionary Russia during the early 1900s. Upper and lower castes mix somewhat uneasily on the busy Moscow streets, each maneuvering for economic advantage amidst the commerce and socializing.
The story opens with Varlam’s (Vladimir Yaglych) exile by his native people, who live along the Volga River. Fleeing to Moscow with the woman he loves named Malika (Adelina Gizatullina), Varlam naïvely strolls the marketplace hand-in-hand, wide-eyed and smiling at the sights and sounds. Soon enough, a fighting match between the Brits and Russians provides a much-needed source of short-term income.
Later, other opportunities present themselves. Equipped with a newly added top hat and silk vest, Varlam appears to become more respectable in anticipation of the next phase of his introduction to urban life. He meets Adrian Paul as James Parker, goaded into forming an opposing soccer team as a way to face off against the blue bloods. Balashov (Dmitriy Nazarov), the upper-class merchant and part-time promoter sees football as sort of a cathartic experience for the masses. He yearns to establish a respectable future for the nascent sport across all segments of society, using free admission to educate the public regarding the nuances of the game.
At the same time, Balashov’s ostensibly faithful right-hand man, Yasha, played by Ivan Okhlobystin, schemes for his own unscrupulous ends. William Shockley as Jones, the reluctant coach, trains the motley upstarts, most of whom never before played the game. Physical conditioning first, then technique. The rag-tag team group of con artists, circus performers and thieves serve to complement each other with their various talents. Jones trains the whole lot with increasing affection as he begins to discover their hidden abilities.
Mrs. Alice Parker (Olesya Sudzilovskaya) smokes casually while observing the training exercises, as her husband intermittently cavorts through the countryside. Alice trots around coolly on her horse, setting her designs on the hapless Varlam. She plots Malika’s abduction in order to ply her wares on the unsuspecting yokel. Later, however, she fittingly winds up in a house of ill repute, tormented by the nefarious, metaphorical Satan (Evgeniy Koryakovskiy).
The match provides something of a redemption for Coach Jones. With his unexpected triumph, the rest, as they say, is history. In 1916, the first meeting of the Moscow League of Wild Teams took place, just prior to the Russian Revolution. A long list of championships followed over the years in the wake of the formation of a national league – composed of rich and poor alike.
Hints of Guy Ritchie infuse some of the action sequences. Confident cinematography by Ken Blakey and Vyacheslav Krasakov enhances the period costumes on full display, with Sean Murray’s music reminiscent of “Chariots of the Gods.” Inspired by true events, the final scene movingly puts on display the real-life 2019 Moscow team. Directed by Andrey Bogatyrev and Art Camacho, the filmmakers present an uplifting tale celebrating the plight of simple men cast as underdogs.
Now playing in select theaters
