As told by Quebec director Charles Binamé, the film is also a history lesson about French-English relations in the 1940s and '50s.
Rocket Richard was a star of the Canadiens hockey team and, in 1945 became the first player in NHL history to score 50 goals in one season.
When he was suspended for injuring another player in 1955, an outraged Quebec public rioted outside the Montreal Forum. That riot has famously been called "the opening shot of the Quiet Revolution."
Montreal Canadiens hockey player Maurice "Rocket" Richard appears in this1954 photo. (CP photo)
The film explores the dynamics of the hockey league, where open discrimination against francophone players was common. It also examines the hope that Quebec fans placed in their hockey heroes.
"We don't have a lot of heroes," Binamé said at a special screening of the movie for celebrities and Richard's family. "Whenever we have a story like this, we have to hold onto it. We can tell the story again and again."
The larger-than-life Richard is played by Roy Dupuis, who has portrayed the hockey great twice before - in a 1999 TV series and in a historical vignette. It was filmed in Montreal and Quebec City.
Born in 1921, Richard joined the NHL in 1942. He helped the Canadiens bring home four Stanley Cups, but was often in the penalty box. He retired from hockey in 1960.
Richard's son Normand was in the audience that previewed the film Wednesday. "I am happy for the children. They have often heard about their grandfather, but here they can see him in the 1940s in his prime. It was not easy for hockey players at that time," he said.
Maurice Richard opens on 150 screens in Quebec this weekend. A version with English subtitles will be released in December.
