Reds (1981)

Director:

Warren Beatty

Writers:

Warren Beatty (screenplay) &
Trevor Griffiths (screenplay)

Release Date:

4 December 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History | Romance

Tagline:

Not since Gone With The Wind has there been a great romantic epic like it!

Plot:

A radical American journalist becomes involved with the Communist revolution in Russia and hopes to bring its spirit and idealism to the United States.

Plot Keywords:

Restaurant | New York | Expatriate | St. Petersburg Russia | Long Island New York

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 18 wins & 21 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Thur. May 15

6:30 AM

MAX

Cast

Warren Beatty	...	John Reed
Diane Keaton	...	Louise Bryant
Edward Herrmann	...	Max Eastman
Jerzy Kosinski	...	Grigory Zinoviev
Jack Nicholson	...	Eugene O'Neill
Paul Sorvino	...	Louis Fraina
Maureen Stapleton	...	Emma Goldman
Nicolas Coster	...	Paul Trullinger
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Speaker - Liberal Club
Ian Wolfe	...	Mr. Partlow
Bessie Love	...	Mrs. Partlow
MacIntyre Dixon	...	Carl Walters
Pat Starr	...	Helen Walters
Eleanor D. Wilson	...	Mrs. Reed
Max Wright	...	Floyd Dell

Runtime:

194 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Russian | German | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

USA:PG (re-rating after appeal) | Singapore:M18 | UK:15 (cut) | Australia:M | USA:R (original rating) | Argentina:Atp | Chile:TE | Finland:K-16 | Norway:12 | Sweden:11

Filming Locations:

1 Great George Street, Westminster, London, England, UK

Company:

Barclays Mercantile Industrial Finance

Trivia:

At one point, Vittorio Storaro nearly quit the project when both him and Beatty clashed over the use of camera. Storaro wanted a dynamic fluid movement while Beatty wanted static shots. Finally, a compromise was made between the two men: the film would open with static shots and as it progresses, more camera moves are added. This style is similarly applied to another film, Network.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The pet dog is a Golden Retriever but the first Golden (Champion Speedwell Pluto) wasn't imported into the US from England until 1930

Quotes:

Eugene O'Neill: Jack dreams that he can hustle the American working man, who's one dream is that he could be rich enough not to work, into a revolution led by *his* party.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing (2004)

Soundtrack:

America the Beautiful

A Monumental Achievement in Epic Film-Making

"Reds" is a 200-minute epic masterpiece which deals with left-wing American journalist John Reed (Warren Beatty in an Oscar-nominated performance) and his coverage of the Russian Revolution of the 1910s. Beatty's passion is what carries this ambitious film, which could have easily been a multi-million dollar disaster. His Oscar-winning direction, screenplay, and overall performance carry the film as far as it can possibly go. The top-flight performances by Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson (both Oscar-nominated), and Maureen Stapleton (Oscar-winning) all add great depth to the performance. Paul Sorvino, Edward Herrmann, and Gene Hackman also make lasting impressions in supporting roles. Overall a great achievement all the way around. 5 stars out of 5.