Reds

In Portland, Oregon, Louise Bryant, a married journalist and suffragist, attends a lecture by radical journalist John Reed and is captivated by his idealism. They strike up an intense connection when he agrees to an interview that lasts all night. The encounter plants the seed for Bryant's future as a political writer and activist.

The all-night interview deepens Bryant's sense that writing is her escape and purpose. She comes away convinced that Reed's world of radical ideas is worth pursuing. This moment begins her transformation from domestic life toward political journalism.

Bryant moves to Greenwich Village to join Reed and becomes acquainted with a vibrant community of activists and artists. She meets Emma Goldman and Eugene O'Neill, expanding her feminist and radical circles. The cultural energy of the Village reshapes her ambitions.

The couple relocates to Provincetown to focus on writing and immerse themselves in the local theater scene. Bryant gains recognition as a feminist and radical writer, while Reed dives into labor activism with the IWW Reds. The seaside town becomes a creative and political hub for them.

Reed travels to St. Louis to cover the 1916 Democratic National Convention, expanding his footprint as a radical journalist. Bryant remains in Provincetown, where she continues to write and grow as a political voice. The trip widens their professional and ideological horizons.

During Reed's absence, Bryant begins an affair with Eugene O'Neill. When Reed returns and learns of it, he confronts his lingering feelings for her. They marry in secret and set up a home in Croton-on-Hudson, trying to balance passion with political commitment.

Reed confesses his infidelities, and Bryant sails for Europe to work as a war correspondent. Reed travels there as well, and the two are soon reunited in a shared pursuit of reporting. Their renewed collaboration deepens their personal and political bond.

Together they travel to Russia, swept up in the fall of the czar and the events of the 1917 Revolution. The experience imprints a radical inflection on both their careers and their relationship. The couple's work becomes inseparable from the upheaval around them.

Returning to the United States, Reed writes Ten Days That Shook the World. Louise is called to testify before the Overman Committee, signaling a new era of political scrutiny in America. Their lives become a blend of literary achievement and public controversy.

Reed joins the Socialist Party of America's Left Wing and is elected to a majority of its National Executive Committee seats. The Left Wing is soon blocked and expelled, and the party fractures into rival groups. Reed forms the Communist Labor Party of America, declaring a more militant path.

Wanting official recognition from the Soviet Comintern, Reed plans a return to Russia despite Bryant's warning that it could end their relationship. He departs with a Christmas deadline looming, signaling both ambition and personal risk. The couple's fates become increasingly intertwined with international politics.

Travel to Russia becomes illegal, forcing Reed to enter Finland and sneak across the border. He becomes disillusioned with Bolshevik rule and attempts to leave, but is imprisoned in Finland after trying to cross back. Louise seeks help from the U.S. government, but the government refuses due to his sedition charges.

Louise travels illegally to Finland to be with Reed, but by the time she arrives, he has been moved back to Russia as part of a prisoner exchange. She continues to pursue his welfare as their fates spiral through the geopolitics of the era.

In Petrograd, Reed works as a propagandist for the Comintern and shares an apartment with Emma Goldman, who was deported to the Soviet Union. Unaware of Louise's journey, Reed repeatedly sends telegrams to New York, growing frustrated by the silence. Louise eventually travels to Petrograd to reunite with him.

Emma Goldman explains where Reed has gone to deliver a speech in Baku. On the way back, White Army forces attack Reed's train; he survives but falls ill with typhus. Louise stays by his side as he dies in his hospital bed, a poignant end to their turbulent partnership.