Cradle Will Rock (1999)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Tim Robbins

Writer (WGA):

Tim Robbins (written by)

Release Date:

12 April 2000 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Art is never dangerous -- unless it tells the truth.

Plot:

A true story of politics and art in the 1930s USA, centered around a leftist musical drama and attempts to stop its production.

Plot Keywords:

New York | 1930s | Theater | Union | USA

Awards:

4 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Hank Azaria	...	Marc Blitzstein
Rubén Blades	...	Diego Rivera
Joan Cusack	...	Hazel Huffman
John Cusack	...	Nelson Rockefeller
Cary Elwes	...	John Houseman
Philip Baker Hall	...	Gray Mathers
Cherry Jones	...	Hallie Flanagan
Angus Macfadyen	...	Orson Welles
Bill Murray	...	Tommy Crickshaw
Vanessa Redgrave	...	Countess Constance LaGrange
Susan Sarandon	...	Margherita Sarfatti
Jamey Sheridan	...	John Adair
John Turturro	...	Aldo Silvano
Emily Watson	...	Olive Stanton
Bob Balaban	...	Harry Hopkins

Also Known As:

Abajo el telón (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
Aplausos (Argentina) [es]
Broadway 39. utca (Hungary) (TV title) [hu]
Broadway, 39ème rue (France) [fr]
Das schwankende Schiff (Germany) [de]
Il prezzo della libertà (Italy) [it]
O Poder Vai Dançar (Brazil) (festival title) [pt]
Oi antartes tou Broadway (Greece) [el]

MPAA:

Rated R for some language and sexuality.

Runtime:

132 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | France:U | Spain:7 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Cradle Productions Inc.

Trivia:

Tim Robbins considered playing Orson Welles.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When Italy invaded, Ethiopia was still known as Abyssinia

Quotes:

Diego Rivera: When did you stop supporting art?
Margherita Sarfatti: I support your art but that does not mean that I must support your revolution.
Diego Rivera: It's the same thing!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Broadway: The American Musical" (2004)

Soundtrack:

Oh What a Filthy Night Court

A Wonderful, Intelligent Film

Cradle Will Rock has everything I like in a movie - great characters, humor, suspense, depth, and music. The many subplots are woven together in perfect balance, leaving you wanting more of everything at the end, even though the film is over two hours.

The acting is excellent all around, especially Cherry Jones' portrayal of Hallie Flanagan, the head of the Federal Theater. Ruben Blades and Angus MacFadyen give us Diego Rivera and Orson Welles, respectively, and do not disappoint. It's rare to see so many charismatic, likeable people in a movie with a real story. There is no one star of the film - everyone is sharing the spotlight equally. Tim Robbins has really done a magnificent job of putting all the pieces in the right places.

And perhaps best of all, this is a film with real controversy - one that will get you thinking about art and politics and unions and the influence of money on everything. Cradle Will Rock is such an ambitious piece of work, it could have failed in so many different ways, and yet it succeeds on every level. Check it out.