Reds (1981)

this is about John Reed, right? The guy that road with Poncho Villa and wrote "Insurgent Mexico" as he covered that Civil War from the front line?

That is an interesting man. That is a daring man. Agree with his politics or not, that is someone that a movie SHOULD be made about.

But this isn't about "Insurgent Mexico" it's about his other book, "10 Days that Shook the World," the book where he wrote about something that he didn't really understand completely and was denied witness to, well, horrific mass killings.

But, you know the Russian Revolution is EXTREMELY interesting isn't it? Even if he was spoon-fed what he wrote, just being there to cover that would make for one interesting film too wouldn't it?

Only... it's not really about that either is it?

It's kind of about John Reed not doing anything too exciting, like the took the parts of his life that you would WANT to see a movie about, and decided NOT to make the movie about those parts.

And the result is that, well, honestly, it's boring.

And you are left wondering "How could someone make a boring movie about John Reed?"

And unfortunately you walk away from it having found out the answer to that question: "By making a movie about ONLY the boring parts of his life."