A radical American journalist becomes involved with the Communist revolution in Russia, and hopes to bring its spirit and idealism to the United States.
Warren Beatty came across the story of John Reed in the mid 1960s, and Executive Producer and Film Editor Dede Allen remembers Beatty mentioning making a film about Reed's life as early as 1966. The first script was written by Beatty in 1969.
Witness 1:
Was that in 1913 or 17? I can't remember now. Uh, I'm, uh, beginning to forget all the people that I used to know, see?
Witness 2:
Do I remember Louise Bryant? Why, of course, I couldn't forget her if I tried.
The dog is put outside shortly before Reed and Bryant go upstairs. Pooch is not let back in. A moment later, when the two characters are upstairs, the dog is waiting at their bedroom window.
As the credits roll, additional interviews with the 'witnesses' play.
3 seconds of horse falls were cut from the British version. The DVD supplements showing these shots are also cut in England.
English, Russian, German, French, Finnish, Italian
$32,000,000 (estimated)
$2,325,029 6 December 1981
$40,382,659
$40,382,659