No matter how many times I watch the movie Miracle I never fail to get goosebumps. The context of those Olympic games was so much more than competition for the entertainment of the fans. The Cold War was, as stated in the movie, the "coldest" it has ever been and the communist were hated by many of the capitalist in the world, attempting to gain more power than many thought they deserved. Also, the Iranian hostages and the invasion of Afghanistan brought even more tension to the games, especially the game between the US and USSR. The US was dealing with a struggling economy and this hockey team seemed to be the heart beat for the nation, giving everyone morale and high hopes.

I did not get to experience the real event, but just watching it gives me a strong sense of nationalism towards my country, the USA. The players on our team represent the qualities of our country. Hardwork, dedication, trust, family, the list goes on and on. The perseverence the players had and the trust they had in each other allowed them to conquer any path that they had to cross.

The Soviets were portrayed almost machine-like. They showed very little emotion and had a sense of cockiness about them. They acted as if they ruled the world. But when things went wrong for them, they began to rely on an individual rather than pulling together as a team like the US did. This can be represented in their communist style of government, relying on one power to control all situations around them.