The most striking thing about this remarkable movie is that it was made at all. At the height of Reaganism, evil empire and all, a big, sloppy, romantic kiss to Bolshevism. The musical montage before the intermission (this is a 200 minute picture) of the actual Russian Revolution, the Ten Days That Shook The World, is assembled like one of the glorious training montages from a Rocky film. This would be like a major epic coming out celebrating the overthrow of the Shah of Iran today. The movie’s last third, however, is devoted exclusively to the failures of the Soviet system, but the main character (played by Beatty) never loses his idealism: this will one day work. Fascinating. The other big treat is seeing Diane Keaton in perhaps her greatest dramatic role. I always think of her as a brilliant comic, and it is great to see her sink her teeth into the part of Louise Bryant. You actually see the film from her point of view and she is wonderfully expressive in every scene. All the acting is top notch, and it has to be, because so much of the script is of people standing up in meeting halls speechifying. The “domestic” scenes between Keaton and Beatty are nearly Casavettes-like in their realism, and the contrast is remarkable. As is the photography Vittorrio Storaro and score by Stephen Sondheim. And the documentary footage of the “witnesses”: Henry Miller! Hamilton Fish! An absolutely remarkable film that is also, I should point out, fun and entertaining.