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Reds (1981) DVD Review
Reds (1981) DVD Credits:
Reds (1981) Directed by:
Warren Beatty
Reds (1981) Written by:
Warren Beatty, Trevor Griffiths
Reds (1981) Cast:
Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton, Edward Herrmann, Jack Nicholson, Maureen Stapleton, Paul Sorvino, William Daniels
Reds (1981) Released by:
Not available at this time
Region:
1
Reds (1981) DVD Release Date:
16th October 2006
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Reds (1981) Synopsis:

Warren Beatty's lengthy 1981 drama about American Communist John Reed and his relationships with both the Russian Revolution and a writer named Louise Bryant (Diane Keaton) is a compelling piece of little-known history told in a uniquely personal way. Beatty plays Reed as he did the title gangster in Bugsy and Senator in Bulworth, as a visionary likely to die before anyone fully recognizes the progressiveness of the vision, including those who are supposed to be on the same page. Jack Nicholson has an interesting part as fellow intellectual Eugene O'Neill, and the late author Jerzy Kosinski--himself a refugee from then-Soviet-controlled Poland--makes a strong impression as Reed's problematic Russian liaison.

Reds (1981) DVD Review:

Reds begins with interviews with real life witnesses of the events of the film. These “witnesses” provide transitions throughout the lengthy film as well, allowing for jumps in time that make for a near complete recreation. Mixing real interviews with the film also gives it a historical feeling, as though it were almost a documentary. It’s like a sampling of stories from the time, not all of the comments directly corresponding to John Reed. These interviews often overlap the filmed version of the story as well, blurring the lines between reality and fictional reality.

The film has much more focus on the issues of relationship than it seems to be with the direct politics, although the two seem to comment heavily on each other. It deals with the relationship John Reed (Warren Beatty) had with feminist and writer Louise Bryant (Diane Keaton), in the context of the time that Reed became active in the communist party against the backdrop of the Russian Revolution. There are short excursions from politics to delve into the relationship rumors, fleshed out by Trevor Griffiths and Warren Beatty’s screenplay and commented upon by the real life witnesses. Especially engaging is the affair that supposedly happened between Louise and Eugene O’Neill, who is played by Jack Nicholson in one of his warmest and most detached roles. He captures the spirit of a poet’s heart in every word he speaks.

The politics in Reds are immediate and urgent, as well as the conversations are passionate and stressed, making it a fascinating sight to behold. Gone are the images of polished politicians and instead are men who will scream and curse to get their point across. Their speeches feel spoken from the heart and it inspires a small revolution in the viewers as well.

This is the first time that Reds is available on DVD and it comes in a two-disc 25th Anniversary Edition. The picture looks fantastic. It is well preserved and incredibly sharp. The film is split onto two discs which also contain a few great featurettes. The first of the six part documentary begins with Warren Beatty saying that he is against the idea of interviews for special features, which gives his words a certain pretentious importance which can’t be ignored. He gives a remarkably intelligent interview which is what makes the featurettes great.

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Reds (1981) DVD review written by: Ryan Izay

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