The Revolutionary

The history of Communist China is portrayed from a unique American perspective in Irv Drasnin's documentary, which profiles the life of Sidney Rittenberg (b. 1921), a South Carolina native and avowed leftist who became a member of the U.S. Communist Party while in college. During his World War II Army tour, Rittenberg was assigned to duty in China, and decided to remain there after the war's end, becoming a committed member of the Chinese Communist Party and working with many of its leaders, including Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai—although he was twice imprisoned on suspicion of espionage, spending a total of 16 years in solitary confinement. Rittenberg returned to the U.S. in 1980 with his Chinese wife and is now on the faculty of the Chinese Studies Program at Pacific Lutheran University in Parkland, WA. Much of The Revolutionary consists of interviews with Rittenberg (illustrated with archival footage), during which he relates the events of his life, including his relationship with the Chinese Communist leadership, his activism during the Cultural Revolution, and his time in prison. Rittenberg's reflections are equally critical of xenophobic Chinese officials, Americans who rebuffed Chinese diplomatic overtures, and himself. Whether or not one agrees with the choices Rittenberg made or the opinions he holds, the documentary presents a remarkable firsthand account of a significant epoch in modern history known to Americans only at considerable remove (for the most part), as well as a portrait of a fascinating man. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)