Cradle Will Rock

Starring:Hank Azaria, Bob Balaban, Jack Black, RubÃ©n Blades, Joan Cusack, John Cusack, Cary Elwes, Kyle Gass, Paul Giamatti, Philip Baker Hall, Barnard Hughes, Cherry Jones, Angus Macfadyen, Bill Murray, Vanessa Redgrave, Susan Sarandon, Jamey Sheridan, John Turturro, Emily Watson
Studio: Buena Vista Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

"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

Description

Powerful and sweeping, the critically acclaimed CRADLE WILL ROCK, starring Hank Azaria, Joan Cusack, John Cusack, Bill Murray, and Susan Sarandon, takes a kaleidoscopic look at the extraordinary events of 1930s America. From high society to life on the streets, director Tim Robbins (DEAD MAN WALKING) brings Depression-era New York City to vivid life. It's a time when DaVincis are given to millionaires who help fund the Mussolini war effort and Nelson Rockefeller commissions Mexican artist Diego Rivera to paint the lobby of Rockefeller Center. A time when a young Orson Welles and a troupe of passionate actors risk everything to perform the infamous musical "The Cradle Will Rock." As threats to their freedom and livelihood loom larger, they refuse to give into censorship. Based on actual events, CRADLE WILL ROCK will move you.

Customer Reviews:

i guess we wont be seeing a film version of "juno" or "reuben reuben" in the near future.......2007-06-11

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.

Long wait in OZ.......2007-05-31

Read the review of "Cradle will rock" in the newspaper "Green left". Unrequited wait for yrs - film never released in Adelaide (South Australia) - but! amazon to the rescue. Made a dinner party of our 1st viewing. Pulled in from the start! All too familiar to us were the names of the aspiring actors, producers, painters who were soon blacklisted or otherwise abused by politicians-on-the-rise. Extra wrench to see Rivera's mural jack-hammered in the film - we'd seen a reproduction in Mexico City just a few yrs ago and read about the original's destruction.

Caution: People outside the USA should be aware that they'll need a DVD player that takes Zone 1 material.

what a mess!.......2007-03-06

tim robbins should be banned from writing screenplays and directing. when i watched this messy farce, i was experiencing the torture of a root canal treatment. gee, i thought i've heard the worst songs in 'phantom of the opera', but this 'cradle will rock' crap really rocked me to the bottom of the darkest and the most stinking underground sewerage system! unions, communist hunting, congress hearing, theaters, we actually could do a lot of good with that era, but my lord, this one simply just messed all up, pushed every button but snapped them completely. i really need antibiotics and painkillers to treat the aftermath sufferings of this worst film on the planet. those ugly songs, my lord, were obviously written and composed by a tone deaf guy. i'd rather hear somebody scratch something on the glass than those horrible tones, tunes and songs....whatever in this horrible, horrible movie. orson wells, were you actually existed in this horrible mess?

The importance of not being too earnest..........2006-06-01

I really wanted to like this film. It hurts not to recommend it, because the subject matter is extraordinary and compelling: a once-in-a-lifetime night in American theater that happened during the Great Depression. And Tim Robbins' heart is in the right place. But great intentions don't make a great film, and unfortunately, that's the case here. Robbins tries to do a multiple-character loose plot that makes one think of Robert Altman. In fact, watching Cradle Will Rock, you realize just how good Altman is, because he makes this sort of thing look so effortless (so much so that detractors have often accused him of "not really directing" his pictures). Well, to quote the late senator Lloyd Bentsen: Tim Robbins, you're no Bob Altman.

The film has an impressive cast list. Unfortunately, almost everyone overacts (or is overdirected by Robbins, since these actors have turned in other fine performances). Particular violators are Cary Ewles as John Houseman and Angus Macfadyen as Orson Welles. Both seem to channel Nathan Lane in their over-the-top elocution and both as directed by Robbins turn every showbiz cliche in the book, such as bickering pettily and then, when they reach an agreement over something, jumping up and down and shouting "Eureka!" while hugging. Other hams include Ruben Blades as painter Diego Rivera and, surprisingly, the normally spot-on Susan Sarandon as Mussolini's art-living mistress. (With her over-bearing accent she sounds more like Count Dracula's mistress.) Other cliched characters include doe-eyed Emily Watson as a shy waif who never gets a break in life until, of course, the last scene.

There's also a strange sideplot involving Bill Murray (okay, he does not overact; *can* Bill Murray overact?) as a washed-up ventriloquist. This started off promising, with him attending secret meetings sponsored by alienated conservatives who see the times changing in ways that make them uncomfortable, but it really went nowhere in my opinion. Conversly, the third (third!) major plotline, about Nelson Rockefeller commissioning Rivera to paint a mural in his new building, went predictably where we'd expect, and was way too drawn out in the film's ending. Oddly, for a screenplay that cried out for lots of oddball, nonconformist characters, no lines and little face time are given Corina Katt Ayala as Frida Kahlo--who in real life was quite a character who could have been put to better use here. Also underused is the always-reliable Bob Balaban. Hank Azaria is okay as the playwright, but the whole surreal bits that happen whenever he has a scene to write or perform strike me as Robbins trying to be arty and "profound."

The one standout performance is by Cherry Jones, wonderful as Hallie Flanagan. Her warm and very natural performance just throws into high relief how forced and phony most of the rest of the cast is. Even here, though, Robbins misses the point. The high moment comes when Balaban shakes her into reality after the Congressional hearings and tells her "It's over." That could have been the beginning of a big dramatic scene, but Robbins glosses over it for a phony and smug mock-interrogation in the court chambers--preaching to us like we're third graders who can't be trusted to figure it out ourselves. Similarly, the walk down the street to the second theater that begins the climax could have been a big dramatic moment--what will be the fate of this controversial play, and the actors who have rehearsed it for months? Instead Robbins gives us a victory dance before the victory--a parade of jugglers, acrobats and cha-cha dancers set to comical klezmer music that undermines what he's just set up. We feel a satisfaction and--I hate to keep using this word but it's true--smugness, before the big night even happens. And I'll leave it to you to decide the effectiveness--and the ultimate meaning--of the very last shot. I still haven't decided if it works, but it was a bold idea.

Another big part of what sinks this movie is the hammy score. It may seem piddling to talk about background music, but it really breaks the movie. The music was done by David Robbins--Tim's brother. Nepotism rears its ugly head. Robbins' music is usually inappropriate--slapstick and overly broad like the rest of the film's elements, as though Robbins doesn't trust us to follow him and feels he has to drive home his message with power tools. Yet despite the constant heavy-handedness, Cradle Will Rock never finds its tone--part history lesson, part "serious drama," part broadsided "comedy," it can't ultimately decide if it wants to hit you in the head with a hammer or in the face with a pie. It tries both by the end, and neither works.

Ultimately, I felt like Robbins couldn't get a distance from his material. He lectures us to the point that the word MESSAGE in bright red practically flashes on the screen. Understatement is not in his bag of tricks. It's not that I disagree with much of what he has to say, but he fairly hits you over the head with it, and acts as though he's the first one to show you upper-class hypocracy. The one really interesting plot thread--about how the Hallie Flanagans of the world were called before the House UnAmerican Committee to defend their loyalty while the Hearsts of America appeased dictators by buying art from them (and thereby financing their fascism)--is the highlight of the film. But even here Robbins stages a garish costume party to drive home the point and again whips out the power tools. Tim, we get it.

Despite this negative review, the film might be interesting to see just for the fascinating history lesson that it is. Or you could go online or to a library and find some nonfiction material on the subject matter. I read somewhere that originally none other than Orson Welles himself was set to make this film, but the deal never got off the ground and then he died. That's too bad. I would like to have seen what he could have done with this material. As it is, Robbins is too close to it--too loud, too preachy, too self-righteous--to pull it off.

Pretty Good Film.......2006-02-21

Cradle Will Rock is a piece of theater history. It was made during the Great Depression in the 1930s when times were hard and entertainment was escapist. However, Cradle Will Rock was a generic story that made a dramatic statement about the times and how hard life was. It was so strong, it was banned, but the actors believed in the message so much they performed anyway at the risk of their jobs, something scarce and vital in those days.

The writing in this film is incredibly well done and the cast is amazing. It is overflowing with notable actors (John Cusack, Hank Azaria, Susan Sarandon, Cary Elwes, Bill Murray, etc) and famous characters (Diego Rivera, William Randolph Hearst, Orson Welles, etc). Most films about this era are disappointing because they don't seem to capture it without being preachy or overly sentimental. This one is not perfect, but it is much closer. Aside from the historical stories, the film is actually interesting to watch and the characters are relatable.

The music is done well too. The characters do not just burst into song; they have a reason for singing when they do, which is not too terribly often.

The only complaint I have is the historical accuracy of some of the real characters. As a fan of silent films, I was disappointed to see that the few scenes with Marion Davies managed to portray her as a drunk and a dimwit. Even Hearst was portrayed to be rather overbearing and pompous. Still, they were a minor part of the action and did not ruin the film.

Charlie Rose with Elie Wiesel; Tim Robbins (December 22, 1999)

Average customer rating:

Charlie Rose with Elie Wiesel; Tim Robbins (December 22, 1999)

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Description

First, Nobel laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel talks about his newly-published second volume of memoirs, And the Sea Is Never Full. Then, actor and director Tim Robbins discusses his new film about Orson Welles and revolutionary theater, Cradle Will Rock.

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