Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Faded Red

Author(s): Brian
Location: Arizona

“Faded Red"

Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Written by Steven Zaillian

Principal Cast:

Geoffrey Rush (Joseph Stalin)
Gary Sinise (Adolf Hitler)
Michael Imperioli (Yakov Dzhugashvili)
Peter Sarsgaard (Viktor Suvorov)
Kurt Russell (Richard Sorge)
Rachel Weisz (Eva Braun)
Ian McKellen (Vladimir Lenin)

Tagline: "Trust Can Be Found in the Most Unlikely of Places. Betrayal Cannot Be"

Synopsis: Joseph Stalin builds everything on fear. The Communist ruler of the Soviet Union, he uses his own people as unlimited resources. After only 10 years of power, he has commanded the death of millions of Russians, simply to prove that he could do so. He has aborted all of the original Socialist ideals of the late ruler Vladimir Lenin and has gone to a flat-out Communist state. That is what makes him the most hated person in the world. But he is also one of the most powerful. So, when World War II approaches, the world is watching him to see whose side he will take. And he stuns millions when he makes an alliance with the Fascist Dictator of Germany, Adolf Hitler. Being a Communist, the two are supposed to hate each other. But, instead, they both fight on the side of the Axis powers. The difference is that both Stalin and Hitler are planning to overthrow the other and gain their power and their nation. Stalin is persuaded by his colleagues, Viktor Suvorov and Richard Sorge that Hitler is planning this. The meetings between the two dictators grow tenser. Stalin is also occasionally visited by his son, Yakov Dzhugashvili, a Capitalist, whose only business with his father is to try and change his mind and head the Soviet Union in a new direction. But that is all that is known about this topic. The film then takes these facts and combines them with speculation. Stalin sends out spies and even assassins to Hitler, blatantly unaware that he has done the same to him. The meetings grow tenser. Hitler’s misress, Eva Bruan, begins to grow suspicious about what exactly he is doing with Stalin, and if he is convincing him to change his political system, and eventually his staff becomes just as concerned. Yakov enlists as a troop for Britain, and is forced to kill some of his former friends and allies. Meanwhile, Suvorov and Sorge, in competition for prestige from Stalin, begin to tell total lies about Hitler and his country in order. All of this continues up until Hitler betrays Stalin and attacks the Soviet Union. Russia joins the Allied powers, and eventually reaches victory against Germany. Stalin died in 1953, with a story no one can forget.

What the press would say:

“Faded Red” has finally been released in our town. Now go see it. Period. You’ve heard what the critics have said, and they are right. “Faded Red” is the best movie of the year, beyond any possible doubt. Every single line of dialogue is crisp, subtle, interesting and gripping. Every shot is set up just the right way, at just the right angle and in just the right mood. And the performances are simply heavenly. Academy Award Winner Rachel Weisz plays Eva Braun. She only has around 10 minutes of screen time, but makes the most of every second. At first, we wonder why she is even in the film, but by the end, she becomes the one thing that drives the story forward. The film wouldn’t work without her, or her excellent performance. Gary Sinise plays the very tricky part of Adolf Hitler with ease. Sinise is able to find an actual human in the ruthless dictator, and that is an achievement bigger than any other imaginable. If he is not recognized for this, every critic in America will be scratching their heads. And then there’s Geoffrey Rush, as Joseph Stalin. This Oscar winner won the role after endless lobbying from Michael Gambon, Alec Baldwin, Tom Hanks and Chris Cooper, and let me tell you, he was the right choice. He demands your attention in every scene, and wins it over every time. In the meeting scenes between him and Sinise, you forget that either one is acting, and feel as though you are watching a recording of the actual conversations. If Rush doesn’t win the Oscar for Best Actor, the Academy will lose all of its credibility. Other critics were absolutely right: “Faded Red” is the best movie of the year, and possibly the decade. It one of those films you know will go down as one of the best of all time. It is set to sweep the Oscars with a strong campaign in the following categories…

Best Picture
Best Director (Steven Soderbergh)
Best Actor (Geoffrey Rush)
Best Supporting Actor (Gary Sinise)
Best Supporting Actress (Rachel Weisz)
Best Original Screenplay (Steven Zallian)
Best Film Editing
Best Cinematography
Best Art Direction
Best Costume Design

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