Even at its epic length of 195 minutes, Warren Beatty's quadruple hat trick as producer, director, co-screenwriter (with Trevor Griffiths) and star of this 1981 historical drama feels surprisingly intimate despite periodic efforts at David Lean-style grandiosity. Finally on DVD in a pristine print transfer, it's hard to believe it's been a quarter century since I've seen this movie, yet it still casts an intriguing spell probably because Beatty seems so enraptured by the turbulent story of John Reed, the American journalist-turned-Communist activist who provided a vital and controversial first-hand account of the Russian Revolution of 1917, "Ten Days That Shook the World".
The film itself covers the last five years of the young writer's life (he was only 32 when he died), and Beatty smartly uses talking heads by way of 31 surviving eyewitnesses of the period as a means to explain the context of the story being told. Covering the full political spectrum from left to right, none are identified outright, but a few are quite famous like writer Henry Miller, journalist Adela Rogers St. John and comedian George Jessel. This approach allows the core of the movie to be the love story between Reed and his wife Louise Bryant, a fellow writer who became his companion on his first trip to Russia. Theirs is a tempestuous relationship driven by their increasing politicization and complicated by adultery and conflicting priorities. They socialize in an elite circle, which includes socialist writer Max Eastman, political anarchist Emma Goldman and playwright Eugene O' Neill, with whom Bryant has a passionate affair.
Divided into two parts (and consequently separated into two discs for the DVD release), the first part focuses on Reed and Bryant's involvement with political and labor disputes stateside and their fits-and-starts courtship, climaxing with their trip to Russia during the revolution. The second half shows them inspired by their experiences in Russia with Reed trying to lead the Communist party back in the U.S. but getting bogged down by bureaucracy in both countries. It all ends in an extravagant series of Zhivago-like sequences that crank up the romance quotient of the entire venture. Except for the occasional lapses into Hollywood formula, this is intelligent film-making if rather dense, and the politics become especially cumbersome in the second half with the actors resorting to speechifying.
Beatty is as good as he's ever been as Reed, though his innately elliptical nature sometimes undermines the open idealism of the character he's portraying. With her self-effacing Annie Hall mannerisms held in check, Diane Keaton fulfills the comparatively more difficult role as the mercurial Bryant since she initially comes across as an embittered dilettante and then evolves in a somewhat disjointed manner to become the supportive wife. Both are so internally motivated as actors that they come across as a bit too contemporary and human-sized for such a romantic epic. Better is Jack Nicholson who threatens to steal the film as the cynically anguished O'Neill, especially in a hostile, painfully honest confrontation scene with Keaton. As Goldman, Maureen Stapleton transcends the dogma of her obsessive character with an undercurrent of humanity. Gene Hackman, Edward Herrmann, Paul Sorvino and writer Jerzy Kosinski are solid in smaller roles.
Not too surprisingly, the technical aspects are impressive from Vittorio Storaro's cinematography, which ranges from the sepia tones of the early scenes to the bold colors used during the revolution montage, to Stephen Sondheim's original music score, which matches well with the period music used, to Richard Sylbert's production design. The 2006 DVD comes with just two extras - a trailer made for the DVD on the first disc, and an enlightening documentary in seven parts on the second disc, "Witness to Reds" by Laurent Bouzereau, which runs over an hour. Despite his open reservations about providing commentary on the film, Beatty is interviewed extensively, and other surviving key cast and crew members are included as well, including a surprisingly open Nicholson. Keaton unfortunately chose not to participate. Regardless, it's essential viewing if you want a greater context for the film from political history to actual production.
The film itself covers the last five years of the young writer's life (he was only 32 when he died), and Beatty smartly uses talking heads by way of 31 surviving eyewitnesses of the period as a means to explain the context of the story being told. Covering the full political spectrum from left to right, none are identified outright, but a few are quite famous like writer Henry Miller, journalist Adela Rogers St. John and comedian George Jessel. This approach allows the core of the movie to be the love story between Reed and his wife Louise Bryant, a fellow writer who became his companion on his first trip to Russia. Theirs is a tempestuous relationship driven by their increasing politicization and complicated by adultery and conflicting priorities. They socialize in an elite circle, which includes socialist writer Max Eastman, political anarchist Emma Goldman and playwright Eugene O' Neill, with whom Bryant has a passionate affair.
Divided into two parts (and consequently separated into two discs for the DVD release), the first part focuses on Reed and Bryant's involvement with political and labor disputes stateside and their fits-and-starts courtship, climaxing with their trip to Russia during the revolution. The second half shows them inspired by their experiences in Russia with Reed trying to lead the Communist party back in the U.S. but getting bogged down by bureaucracy in both countries. It all ends in an extravagant series of Zhivago-like sequences that crank up the romance quotient of the entire venture. Except for the occasional lapses into Hollywood formula, this is intelligent film-making if rather dense, and the politics become especially cumbersome in the second half with the actors resorting to speechifying.
Beatty is as good as he's ever been as Reed, though his innately elliptical nature sometimes undermines the open idealism of the character he's portraying. With her self-effacing Annie Hall mannerisms held in check, Diane Keaton fulfills the comparatively more difficult role as the mercurial Bryant since she initially comes across as an embittered dilettante and then evolves in a somewhat disjointed manner to become the supportive wife. Both are so internally motivated as actors that they come across as a bit too contemporary and human-sized for such a romantic epic. Better is Jack Nicholson who threatens to steal the film as the cynically anguished O'Neill, especially in a hostile, painfully honest confrontation scene with Keaton. As Goldman, Maureen Stapleton transcends the dogma of her obsessive character with an undercurrent of humanity. Gene Hackman, Edward Herrmann, Paul Sorvino and writer Jerzy Kosinski are solid in smaller roles.
Not too surprisingly, the technical aspects are impressive from Vittorio Storaro's cinematography, which ranges from the sepia tones of the early scenes to the bold colors used during the revolution montage, to Stephen Sondheim's original music score, which matches well with the period music used, to Richard Sylbert's production design. The 2006 DVD comes with just two extras - a trailer made for the DVD on the first disc, and an enlightening documentary in seven parts on the second disc, "Witness to Reds" by Laurent Bouzereau, which runs over an hour. Despite his open reservations about providing commentary on the film, Beatty is interviewed extensively, and other surviving key cast and crew members are included as well, including a surprisingly open Nicholson. Keaton unfortunately chose not to participate. Regardless, it's essential viewing if you want a greater context for the film from political history to actual production.