Synopses & Reviews
Warren Beatty's award winning epic mixes drama and interviews with major social radicals of the period. Reds tells the story of the love affair between activists Louise Bryant and John Reed. Set against the backdrop of the tumultuous start of the twentieth century, the two journalists' on-again off-again romance is punctuated by the outbreak of WWI and the Bolshevik Revolution. Louise's assignment in France at the outbreak of the war puts an end to their affair. John Reed's subsequent trip to Russia, and his involvement with the Communist party, rekindles their relationship. When Louise arrives in Petrograd, she finds herself swept up in the euphoria of the Revolution. Reed, however, eventually becomes disillusioned with Communism when he sees his words and intentions augmented and controlled by the growing Soviet propaganda machine.
Review
"A rabble-rousing tour de force....The movie is political, educational, provocative, difficult, and long....It is also intellectually stirring and emotionally soap-operatic in the best sense of both those terms, and stars three actors at the very top of their game. (Grade: A)" Entertainment Weekly
Review
"What audiences can...care about...is a traditional Hollywood romantic epic, a love story written on the canvas of history....And Reds provides that with glorious romanticism, surprising intelligence, and a consistent wit." Roger Ebert
Review
"Reds is an extremely fine film." Vincent Canby, The New York Times