Cradle Will Rock

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Steve D Great cast but nowhere near as clever as it thinks it is. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 09/22/23 Full Review Audience Member In a word: "Disgusting". Not only is this film radically Marxist (even the Depression-era unions and FDR are depicted as selling out the workers as they march toward revolution!), but it's the most anti-Semitic film I ever recall seeing from a modern Hollywood production. Although the film's central hero, Marc Blitzstein, was of Jewish heritage as a matter of historical fact, that aspect of his heritage is never mentioned. The only references to Jews in "Cradle Will Rock" are a few gratuitous (i.e., completely unnecessary) mentions of Jews as friends of the lucripetous, rich characters and as friends of fascists, and in the person of Sarandon's character -- a sycophantic Jewish woman enamored with Mussolini who helps plunder Italy's cultural heritage (literally for bags of American cash!) and who implores Diego Rivera to compromise his art and Marxist ideology for Rockefeller cash. The apparent suggestion in "Cradle Will Rock" that Jews were complicit in their own persecution in the 1930's for the sake of money is disgusting, morally repugnant and wholly unworthy of the talent involved in this project. I am absolutely shocked and appalled at this film. Although I agree that the production values were better than average and the impressive all-star cast's acting was better than average (Caution: Sarandon's Italian accent and persona were of surprisingly low, street busking quality!), the film's radical Marxist and anti-Semitic messaging leave little option other than an extremely low score. Recommendation: Skip "Cradle Will Rock" unless you're a Marxist or neo-Nazi. Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Audience Member A clash of artistic styles/movements--socialist realism (radical, revolutionary, populist, working-class), vaudeville (conservative, reactionary, populist), (neo-)classical (conservative, reactionary, elitist, ruling-class), and abstract--and their relation to the class struggle. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review Frances H Really liked this film, which had a great deal that was very important to say and a great way to say it. Makes one feel proud to be a part of the human race. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/24/15 Full Review Audience Member Alas, Art is so Good, and Business is so Bad. But there is fun in thar if you ignore the point. Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member An evidently uneven but worthwhile film. The star-studded cast (Vanessa Redgrave is a goddess!) and the interesting plot keep you going despite the tribulations courtesy of a flawed script and unfocused direction. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Cradle Will Rock

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