Interesting biopic of idealistic and Socialist writer John Reed, and his experiences, fulminating to his book, THE TEN DAYS THAT SHOOK THE WORLD. Reed is a fascinating and unlikely subject for a Hollywood movie, mostly because he is extremely complicated and doesn't say "gee whiz" a lot. Beatty (winning Best Director Oscar) really pulls out the stops to paint a serious portrait, in this movie.
Yes, to a certain extent, it is sympathetic towards Socialism. However, one can't deny that it was particularly gutsy to make a film of this nature in 1981. Also undeniable, was the utter human misery and suffering of 95% of the Russian people during this period under Czarist rule. The question probably wasn't so much when a revolution would occur, but a question of what took them so long?
Politics aside, REDS is a well made film, with much going for it. The script tends to run on in parts, yet tells a compelling story. The performances are simply super, with Maureen Stapleton a standout (with a well-deserved Oscar nod). Just be warned, REDS tends to run very long and gets a bit dry in patches. The viewer is rewarded though, with some knockout performances.
Recommended.
Yes, to a certain extent, it is sympathetic towards Socialism. However, one can't deny that it was particularly gutsy to make a film of this nature in 1981. Also undeniable, was the utter human misery and suffering of 95% of the Russian people during this period under Czarist rule. The question probably wasn't so much when a revolution would occur, but a question of what took them so long?
Politics aside, REDS is a well made film, with much going for it. The script tends to run on in parts, yet tells a compelling story. The performances are simply super, with Maureen Stapleton a standout (with a well-deserved Oscar nod). Just be warned, REDS tends to run very long and gets a bit dry in patches. The viewer is rewarded though, with some knockout performances.
Recommended.