Warren Beatty's epic chronicling American reporters John Reed and Louise Bryant and their involvement with the Russian revolution was nominated for 12 Academy Awards, taking home three Oscars for Best Director (Beatty), Best Cinematography (Vittorio Storaro) and Best Supporting Actress (Maureen Stapleton). At 194 minutes, the film takes its time to develop its characters bringing us into their history before they begin to play key roles in important historical events of the 20th century. Mixing documentary interviews of people who knew the couple with dramatic recreations, REDS not only gets a wide view of its protagonists, but also the era in which they lived.
Married Louise Bryant (Diane Keaton, ANNIE HALL) meets playboy reporter John Reed (Beatty, MCCABE AND MRS. MILLER) at a Liberal Club meeting, where she asks to interview him. He agrees, with the hope of a one-night stand, but after a long night of debate, Louise sends John packing. The pair will meet again and Louise will take the aggressor's role. Later Louise will leave her husband and follow John to New York, where she becomes overshadowed by the dynamic personalities of John's Greenwich Village friends, which include outspoken activist Emma Goldman (Stapleton, COCOON) and writer Eugene O'Neill (Jack Nicholson). John and Louise's relationship will be tumultuous, spurred by infidelity of both of their parts, loneliness when they are separated and artistic competitiveness.
Over the course of the story, John and Louise will part and come back together several times. Despite their problems, the couple finds a strong common bond in by their shared liberal activism and journalistic endeavors. Their lives will be changed forever when they travel to Russia as the impending revolution is brewing. They will be on the frontlines reporting about world changing events, but during the process John will be pulled from observer into a participant. Both John and Louise's idealism in socialism will be challenged when the realities of the human desire for power rears its ugly head.
Both Beatty and Keaton were nominated for their strong performances. They are not showy roles like Stapleton's scene stealing part, but they have chemistry and passion that makes us believe in their love, as well as their convictions. This is key because no matter what your politics may be this film can touch you, because you can relate to the characters. Nicholson also received an Oscar nod for the jealous, sarcastic writer who drowns his sorrow in booze.
In addition to Best Pictures and Best Original Screenplay, the film received Oscar nods for Best Art Direction-Set Direction and Best Costume Design, which honored the film's attention to period detail. Those details help fill the epic-sized frame for Storaro, whose photography captures the bohemian excitement of New York City, the romantic beauty of upstate New York and the harsh conditions of Russia before and after the revolution. Along with a nod for Best Sound, a well-deserved nod went to Dede Allen and Craig McKay for Best Editing. The duo took more than 130 hours of footage and skillfully balanced the documentary elements with the fictionalized story giving the film a flow that never lets the lengthy film lag.
So many romances set against historical events have failed, but REDS succeeds in not letting one element outweigh the other. The lovers have personalities and desires that extend beyond their relationship. Dramatic elements are not arbitrarily developed; they flow from the couple's similarities and differences. Their ideals connect them intimately with the historical elements, making the history more than a boring school lesson. This bittersweet romance delivers equal emotional resonance and thought-provoking power.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
