Cradle Will Rock (2000)

"Based on a (mostly) true story," according to the opening titles, Tim Robbins's dazzling dramatization of one of the great stories in American theater indeed takes a few liberties with history. Ostensibly the story of the mayhem surrounding Marc Blitzstein's worker's opera The Cradle Will Rock, directed by Orson Welles for the WPA at the height of the Depression, Robbins paints a veritable mural around this incident, a city alive with plotting industrialists (John Cusack as Nelson Rockefeller), radical artists (Ruben Blades's Diego Rivera), and struggling citizens (Bill Murray's frustrated vaudeville ventriloquist Tommy Crickshaw). Lightning strikes when the government closes the show before it even opens and the cast marches 20 blocks to an empty theater and tosses the staging aside to perform in the aisles, the balconies, and the seats. It's a rare moment of cinema capturing the immediacy and charge of live theater on the screen and it's the heart of Robbins's often exhilarating film. His heroes are Blitzstein (a warm, gently impassioned Hank Azaria) and cheery WPA Theater director Hallie Flanagan (Broadway star Cherry Jones), but in the process he snidely turns Welles and producer John Houseman into sour, silly caricatures. The stew of artistic creation and political action gets murky and at times contradictory, but vivid performances and Robbins' driving pace and staccato crosscutting keep it humming through even the most didactic moments. The songs are by Blitzstein, and the character-rich cast also features Vanessa Redgrave, Susan Sarandon, John Turturro, Emily Watson, and Philip Baker Hall. --Sean Axmaker Amazon.com

A play about the play

The Arts Retrospective students saw a clip from this movie, and immediately became passionate about doing the show (Cradle Will Rock) and also doing a frame - the show about the show, which they see as important; I bought the DVD to convince my fellow faculty the show is worth doing. June 13, 2008

NYC in 1930s

Tom Robbins' film is depicting time in US history that affected art in a big way. It is 1930s, country is coming out of depression while Europe is in turmoil. As government is establishing funds for theatres around the country, there is also persecution of communist symphatizers going on. Fascists regimes from Europe are too busy negotiating steel prices for their growing military demands and the best way to establish such "business" relationships is thru "selling" art. As rich like Hurst and Rockefeller are accumulating modern art and misplaced DaVinci's in their living rooms and placing them above fireplaces; Diego Rivera with a help of Frieda Kahlo is painting his famous mural that will be taken down shortly after it's unveiling. This film is saturated with stars and the topic is too complex and too broad for 90 minute movie. Robbins has attempted to tackle too much and it shows. Interesting part of US history shown thru an artist's point of view. December 26, 2007

A Bad Day at Black Rock - Unforgettable

Bad Day at Black RockA Masterpiece that should be rediscover for the screenplay, for the direction and this powerfull acting of Spencer Tracy.
Carlito Camargo November 2, 2007

Love It or Hate It - I Think It's Brilliant!

I just saw this film for the first time and I thought it was brilliant.

I'm somewhat surprised by the decidely mixed reviews it's gotten here at Amazon- especially considering the fact that Maltin gives it three and a half stars out of four. It seems people either love or hate this movie.

I thought the yays and nays would divide down party lines but it seems many lefties don't care for this film while at the same time claiming it is "contradictory" or "preachy".

One of the things I loved about this film (now almost ten years old and aging beautifully) is that it's insights surprised me throughout- it is NOT predictable. I also thought it's main theme- the importance of not prostituting yourself was made crystal clear first by Hank Azaria as Marc Blitzstein and then by the script as it unfolds- echoing the theme of the play that is also the film's title. It's a message that crosses party lines or should.

This film is not dogmatic in the least. The characters are not class stereotypes- one of the most sympathetic characters (indeed one of the heroes in this film) is the wealthy woman played so wonderfully by Vanessa Redgrave. Orson Welles- another of the story's heroes is accurately portrayed as a raging capitalist bon vivant and I loved the fact that director Tim Robbins was so playful in his portrayals of Welles and Houseman.

Yes the film is critical of the conservative witch hunts (as it should be) that closed the FTP but it is also critical of the union which wouldn't let the show go on as well. The staunchest union man here is played by Jamey Sheridan and he emerges as the film goes on to be close minded, stubborn and cruel.

This is a film about doing what you think is right no MATTER what your personal politics are. If anything it's about the victory of art over politics and censors no matter how briefly. This is a noble and poetic sentiment.

We've seen so many films with large casts like this- each with their own stories that suddenly come together. Indeed the genre is over run and overwrought. But this is no "Crash" or "Magnolia" with a simplistic "we're all in this together" type message- it's a film that actually says something.

I thought "Cradle Will Rock" was challenging, funny, moving and still completely relevant. To top it off, the acting is exceptional and the 1930's atmosphere is vivid and wonderful.

Five stars. September 23, 2007

i guess we wont be seeing a film version of "juno" or "reuben reuben" in the near future

tim robbins is oh so right in his political points of view; its a damn shame that hes such an amateurish actor and (here) director. he manages here to trivialize one of the most memorable moments of mid-20th century american theater, and to portray as buffoons a number of persons of vastly greater talent than tim robbins, among them orson welles, john houseman, and marc blitzstein. (not to even mention the hatchet job on nelson rockefeller, who was portrayed far more fairly in "frida", arising from the same incident -- hmm, i guess i DID mention it). the film is sophomoric and replete with ham performances from alot of actors who should know better, with only bill murray acquitting himself well. and most annoying of all is the scant amount of the blitzstein score that is used, further proof of mr robbins trusting his own talents ahead of those of a genuine artist. one of the worst movies ive seen in a long time.
June 11, 2007

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