A quiet, young college Philosophy major, known only as “A” (Jon Voight), becomes involved with radical left wing activities during the Vietnam era. 

A is not really dedicated to any particular anti-Establishment cause, but seems to be more in search of his own identity.  This soul-searching journey continually takes him further down unlawful roads, from being jailed for illegal protests, which results in his college suspension, to Army desertion and, finally, to the possibility of becoming part of a political assassination.

CRITIQUE

The Revolutionary may not be a very good film, but it is certainly a very interesting one.

It’s also a difficult movie to be objective about because my political views are totally opposed to those of the picture’s characters, thus it’s not easy to feel much sympathy for them.  As far as I’m concerned, these people are idiots.  I felt that back in the 1960s and 1970s when these anti-Establishment protests were going on, and that opinion has not changed.

What’s particularly interesting is that the movie’s star, Jon Voight, is an active, outspoken member of the Republican party and, while watching this picture about the left-wing, I couldn’t help but wonder what his political views were during the filming.

I also wasn’t sure what the film’s writer (Hans Koningsberger) and director (Paul Williams) were trying to accomplish, evoke sympathy for the leading character and his radical associates, or point out their political foibles.  The script meanders quite a bit and Williams’ pacing of the scenes is extremely slow.

Voight is excellent as the confused young man, as are Robert Duvall as the head of a left-wing labor movement, Seymour Cassel as the ultra radical who introduces Voight to a darker side, and Collin Wilcox Paxton and Jennifer Salt as the women in A’s life.

The picture’s final image is quite powerful, but with such a disjointed story, I’m not sure that it was worth the wait.

THE VIDEO

As part of MGM’s “Limited Edition Collection,” this is a “burned,” as opposed to a “pressed” DVD, and is manufactured from the best elements available.

The widescreen picture has the gritty look of many films of its era, but has no significant problems.

THE AUDIO

The Dolby Digital Sound is sometimes difficult to hear, not so much because it is poorly recorded, but because the actors often mumble their lines.

EXTRAS

None.

FINAL THOUGHT

The Revolutionary is an interesting, albeit rambling, look at a bygone era.