Hollywood has been in bed with the Reds for a long time. The historical Spartacus was a brutal — possibly psychotic — criminal... but Hollywood cast him as hero decades ago.
BOY, do I remember Bonnie and Clyde. I was twelve, I was crazy about it (would sneak off to see it while my mother was at work...must have seen it a dozen or more times). When my mother found out who I was idolizing (I thought Bonnie Parker was just too cool), she was horrified and I got a good lecture on bad guys being bad guys.