Day 47- Movie 46. Cradle Will Rock (1999)

Tim Robbins' mostly true story, Cradle Will Rock is an underrated film that tells the powerful story of about an original 1937 musical production that was shut down by the government because they did not approve of the play's content. This story is one of many in the film, which are all weaved together to paint a portrait of censorship, art v. politics, union v. nonunion, and this country's fight against communism on the domestic front. Robbins received some criticism for this film (which he wrote, produced, and directed) because there were "too many" storylines, which reportedly prevented any one from achieving its full potential. I admit that there are definitely many storylines and many characters, but they all work together to create an interesting mosaic portraying an interesting time in U.S. history.

Period film don't often do well with audiences, especially ones that polarize with some pretty blatant political commentary. This movie is very leftist and Robbins has no qualms with displaying his political beliefs front and center. While I don't agree with all of Robbins' political beliefs, I felt like I was able to put politics aside to appreciate what he was trying to convey in this film.

I do want to talk about the cast, because it is impressive. Here's some of the big names-

Hank Azaria, Joan Cusack, John Cusack, Cary Elwes, Philip Baker Hall, Angus Macfadyen, Bill Murray, Vanessa Redgrave, Susan Sarandon, Emily Watson, John Turturro, Jack Black, Kyle Gass, Paul Giamatti, Gretchen Mol

Robbins certainly assembles an impressive cast for his third directorial effort. While not all of the big names get much screen time (some are on screen for very little), they each have enough to do to make an impact on the film. I enjoyed seeing all of these good actors working together.

I believe people that don't mind watching period pieces will enjoy this look at censorship and theater in the 1930s America. The characters are pretty recognizable, including Orson Welles and Nelson Rockefeller. I thought Robbins did a good job of telling this story, and I was impressed with his ability to control chaos throughout the film. This was a good movie- 7.5/10.

If you like movies about historical events that also make you think, I'd recommend seeing Cradle Will Rock. It was a little-seen film in 1999, and I bet not too many people have seen it even today.