AllMovie

His name often falls secondary to Karl Marx and Vladimir Ilyich Lenin in popular contexts, but actually, Leon Trotsky bore every bit as much responsibility for spearheading the Russian Revolution - and (despite the eventual failure of Communism in the U.S.S.R.) retained a saint-like reputation among the Russian people that persisted for generations. Unlike John Reed, for example (who saw in the October Revolution a chaos that lacked order and systematization), Trotsky perceived the Revolution as only one in a carefully-planned series of steps that would lead to an eventual world revolution - a vision that gave him a permanent place in the hearts of many leftists. This documentary tells Trotsky's story chronologically, making much use of archival material, period quotes, and newly-shot footage. In lieu of a reverent approach, it examines the many and varied responses to Trotsky, in order to keep him multifaceted and bring him as close as possible to contemporary audiences.