Black & White World

Reds (1981)

IMDB

Warren Beatty’s sprawling epic biopic of Jack Reed, idealistic socialist journalist (that’s a lot of -ists) who was integral to the founding of the American Communist Party.  Although the film is a bit facile in its portrayal of the Socialist and Communist parties, the acting is all quite good and the story is compelling (if not altogether factual).  It’s definitely longer than it needs to be.  Maureen Stapleton gets the top acting prize (and she did, too—an Oscar) for her portrayal of Emma Goldman.

There’s no chance this movie would ever be made today, incidentally.  It’s too leftist, even for Hollywood.  At least in the current political climate.