Icarus Documentary Review

 

    

A specific scene that made me take a pause during the film was when Grigory Rodchenkov's colleague in Russia supposedly died from a heart attack. When the news broke, Rodchenkov had already moved to Los Angeles to avoid being harmed by the Russian Government. Grigory had mentioned that it was such a surprise because Namiski had never complained about heart issues and was always incredibly healthy, insinuating something else had happened to him. A mad scientist like Grigory was stereotyped as, started to cry. His blatant show of emotions displays how real this situation is. The thought that assassinations like these can still be happening in Russia is heartbreaking. Grigory having to worry about his and his family's wellbeing is absurd. 

    The reason why I was so caught off guard was because I genuinely thought this only happened in movies. Yes, I knew that Russia was dirty for the doping incidents, but I didn't know that the leaders were so immoral. We obviously are so used to our way of living in the United States, so this scene was a big wake up call for me personally. We are priveleged enough to be able to speak our thoughts without consequences. I can be openly against a certain president and not be assassinated for it. 

   

    I question Grigory's safety now, even if he was put into protective custody by the United States Judicial System. The ending of the documentary did not guarantee that he would be 100% safe. The Justice system still believes that there might be potential KGB agents in the states who are planning to harm Rodchenkov. How does Grigory live with that constant fear? Does he still fear that it can happen? Is his family alive and well in Russia? Does Grigory keep in contact with them? I can't imagine living with constant anxiety looming over me. Anxiety boggles my mind anyways, and to have a constant reminder that someone may come and assassinate me is overwhelming to even think about. 

    

    I would avoid including research in our summaries because this documentary is our research. They already did the work for us. I am merely making a summary about what was displayed In the film, not from outside sources. I have learned and understood everything from the film. Bryan Fogel specifically explained how to go through with the doping process, so If I had any questions on how to dope he already answered them. Grigory answered how he cheated the system of swapping positive urine samples with negative ones. The film is my source and my only source that I need to make a summary about itself.