The Nagano Tapes - documentary about Nagano 1998

Gintonicplz

Registered User
Jul 23, 2017
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Czech republic
Hello everyone,

I have seen recently this new documentary about 1998 Olympics in Nagano called "The Nagano Tapes". It is really well edited and even though it does follow the traditional narrative of Czech hockey underdogs winning the tournament of century, but it actually puts a lot of things in broader context that might be interesting for some of you. It is just 73 minutes long and definitely worth the look!

Link for the documentary: The Nagano Tapes | Five Rings Films | Olympic Channel


P. S.: I hope I am posting it in the thread. If not, beg me pardon.

Rasp
 

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Footage of Team USA:
tenor.gif
 

JackSlater

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Apr 27, 2010
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I enjoyed that documentary quite a bit. Great footage from the tournament, interesting background information, some of the most colourful elements of the big teams interviewed, random inclusion of the Evangelion theme. Great shot of Hasek in the airport.
 

NyQuil

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Jan 5, 2005
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Were there subtitles for the Czech players?

That’s what I was actually interested in.

Maybe I had the wrong settings or something.
 

tony d

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Jun 23, 2007
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Was a good tournament and a good way to kick off pros being able to play in the Olympics. Disappointing results for Team Canada though.
 
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My favourite player ever, Scott Stevens, played here. So it’s kind of special to me. And Trevor Linden, pre benning protecting regime as president, did good work here.

Man, that Canada defence. Yikers.

Bow to hasek.
 

Gintonicplz

Registered User
Jul 23, 2017
74
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Czech republic
I am glad you like the documentary! It is truly well done. Did you manage to switch on the ENG subtitles during Czech interviews? If not, I might try to translate some parts (Hasek etc) if you are interested.

Cheers, Gin
 

SenzZen

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Jan 31, 2011
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This was a great doc. I watched it while the Olympics were on, and it was a fantastic stroll down memory lane- as well as a very good piece of story-telling.

It wasn't a Canadian victory, so it will never get the props it deserves. But, damn, this is a fantastic documentary.

Neither was it a US victory, so it will never be heralded as a product of Divine Intervention.
 

Rexor

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Oct 24, 2006
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I enjoyed the documentary, it was very well made. The only thing I didn't like was the obvious attempt to sell this story to North American audience as a kind of a symbolic completion of the Czech democratic revolution (the rivalry with Russia, Petr Svoboda's life story, the fact that his last name stands for "freedom" in Czech, people in the streets after the final victory just like in November 1989 etc.). The Czech Nagano mythology revolves around a David v. Goliath kind of narrative, a small and underrated country beating all the hockey superpowers, with a larger than life netminder leading the team. But unlike the documentary suggests, there's never been anything political about it.

Footage of Team USA:
tenor.gif

That's a bit harsh I think. I recently rewatched all the Czech Nagano games and the U.S. was the only team that thoroughly outplayed us. They were really unlucky to run into Hašek at his absolute best.
 

MMANumminen

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May 7, 2010
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Nice document, thanks for sharing. Reminded me about WC 1995 here in Finland. Never forget.
Beating that stacked Canada team in bronze game was epic too even they didn't care about it that much
 

Rob

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I remember being so enraged that Paul Kariya was unable to play because of a cheap shot from Gary Suter. The later still got to play for the US.
 

Cruor

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May 12, 2012
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I had this bookmarked but didn't get around to watching it until just now. I thought it was a pretty great documentary, much better than I was expecting. You don't have to be interested in Czech hockey to get something out of it (just be sure to turn on English CC), it has a lot of focus on the U.S. and Canadian teams aswell. Well worth a watch (and a bump)!
 
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I remember how I was waiting for Nagano and it turned out to be such a letdown; all those NA-NHLers weren't super-humans after all.

The tournament left a sour taste in the mouth mainly because Bure single-handedly beat Finland and in the other semi-final one goalie single-handedly beat those supposed super-humans.
 

jj cale

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Jan 5, 2016
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I remember how I was waiting for Nagano and it turned out to be such a letdown; all those NA-NHLers weren't super-humans after all.

The tournament left a sour taste in the mouth mainly because Bure single-handedly beat Finland and in the other semi-final one goalie single-handedly beat those supposed super-humans.
If you really believed that going into this tournament then the fact you were disappointed lies squarely on your shoulders because it had been known for quite some time ( I mean, where had you been?) that European hockey was on same the level as N.A hockey, no way any fan that follows hockey couldn't have known that with all the European stars in the N.H.L and results from international tournaments.
 
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Rexor

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Oct 24, 2006
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I remember how I was waiting for Nagano and it turned out to be such a letdown; all those NA-NHLers weren't super-humans after all.

The tournament left a sour taste in the mouth mainly because Bure single-handedly beat Finland and in the other semi-final one goalie single-handedly beat those supposed super-humans.

For the millionth time, this is a revisionist history.
 
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ForumNamePending

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Mar 31, 2012
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Ya, "Hasek stole the gold in Nagano" has become one of hockey's great myths. I mean Hasek was obviously really good, but the Czechs also had the better run of play in both the semifinal and final.

I think up until Canada choked the life out of the Sochi tournament, that '98 Czech team had been the most impressive team (not on paper, but with the way they performed on the ice) at a "best-on-best" Olympics.
 
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