Another take on a true story with a far more tragical ending

Rating: 7/10 (2 December 2008)

This is a good movie - for people who do and do not like football alike. It shows why people actually like football all over the world - it is about sportsmanship, dignity, team work and courage in the face of unsurmountable obstacles. But one thing should not be forgotten but the movie goers everywhere - what is depicted in the movie has its roots in historical fact. In 1941 a team of former Dynamo Kiev players challenged the might of German Wermacht to a series of matches, which, astonishingly, they have all won convincingly. And then, when it became obvious that wins in the stadium can and will inspire uprisings everywhere in occupied Ukraine, the team members were imprisoned by Gestapo. A week later on 16 August, Start defeated Rukh again, this time 8-0. Soon after that, a number of the FC Start players were arrested and tortured by the Gestapo, allegedly for being NKVD members (as Dynamo was a police-funded club). One of the arrested players Mykola Korotkykh died under torture. The rest were sent to the Syrets labour camp, where Ivan Kuzmenko, Oleksey Klimenko, and the goalkeeper Mykola Trusevich were later killed in February 1943. No escapes to Victory for these brave Ukranians. Check this link for more info - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Death_Match Whenever I watch this movie I always remember FC Start.