Customer Reviews

Seeing Red [VHS]

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This is one of the most potent documentaries that you will ever watch. I can't forget it and I viewed it the first time 6 years ago. The care and concern that those involved had for their comrades and the U.S. working classes is authentic. This isn't filled with objective aloof intellectuals, these are the real people that worked and were beaten for their beliefs and goals. Stalin brought disillusionment but the true believers that were able to see through Stalin and then Mao and realize the underlying truth of the Marx based vision shines through. A must see for anyone that has ever felt.

This film documents that American Communists from the 30's and 40's were primarily motivated by idealism and the hope to create a better society by addressing issues such as racism, workers' rights, civil liberties, opposition to fascism, etc. At that time, it seemed to many that the communists were the only group effectively addressing these issues. They were disillusioned as they began to realize how different the reality of communism in power is from the dream of justice, equality, and peace they had worked for. The persecution by HUAC and Senator Joseph McCarthy in the early 50's traumatized many, so that they were very reluctant to be interviewed for the film. This film provides essential, moving, and vivid testimonies of their true motives. Perhaps now, more than half a century later, we can begin to appreciate their loyal attempts to live up to American ideals, and drop the demonization which has so long dominated our histories of that period.

There is an entire underground movement of disillusioned persons who joined "cults" and religions and groups and movements at the end of the 60s and during the 70s that are now waking up and coming to the realization that what they thought was ideal and true wasn't at all. Their gurus have not been who they thought they were, and the shock is just as intense as it was for these idealist American-Communists when Stalin was exposed. The parallels are incredible; to dedicate the majority of your young adult existence to a cause, only to wake up and find that the cause was only a pipe dream. Shattering. Anyone who has experienced anything like this, who has dedicated themselves wholeheartedly to a belief system that turned out to be a scam....yet the basic ideals and beliefs still ring true will need lots of kleenex to get through this movie. It is inspiring beyond words to learn that you are not alone in getting duped because of your idealism and that's its going to be OK and that if you look real deep into your heart, at least you stood for something...better than living for nothing.