Tim Robbins’ performances inThe Shawshank Redemption,Mystic River, The Player,andBull Durham,among others, are so belovedthat it has become easy to forget that he is also a very talented director. While Robbins never had the quantity of output that had turned fellow actor-turned-directors likeClint EastwoodorRobert Redfordinto filmmaking legends, he amassed an impressive resume of behind-the-camera credits, including the political satireBob Robertsand the Oscar-winning dramaDead Man Walking.The last and most ambitious film that Robbins directed was the biographical dramaCradle Will Rock, which featured one of the most impressive ensemble casts of the 1990s.
Cradle Will Rockisbased on the extraordinary true storyabout the development of a 1937 musical of the same name, which was produced as a work of protest art amidst many political, social, and economic changes in America. In the years of the Great Depression, when World War II was on the horizon, many artists, actors, and writers within the entertainment industry felt obliged to create a production that promoted the labor movement,addressed the possibilities of socialism, and offered a firm resistance to the threat of fascism.Although it was lightly fictionalized and blended some historical figures together,Cradle Will Rockwas able to use the past to draw parallels to the present and has become even more relevant today.
‘Cradle Will Rock’ Has an Excellent Ensemble Cast
Given that the filmfeatures many real historical figures,it makes sense that Robbins assembled a cast forCradle Will Rockthat could give larger-than-life performances.Hank Azariagives a rare dramatic performance as the legendary composerMarc Blitzstein, who was praised for leading the performance alongside its director, a youngOrson Welles(played byAngus Macfadyen). Although there were several other iconic industry legends likeHallie Flanagan (Cherry Jones) andOlive Stanton (Emily Watson), whose stories are brought to life,Cradle Will Rockalso inserted original characters that were made to represent different perspectives that were relevant at the time.Bill Murrayis perfectly cast as the legendary ventriloquist Tommy Crickshaw, who begins to develop romantic feelings for the anti-Communist FTP clerk Hazel Huffman (Joan Cusack), who betrays the group by reporting on their activities to the HUAC. Despite Tommy’s embarrassment at the situation, he is no less happy about having to serve as a mentor to younger comedians, including the mimicry duo Sid (Jack Black) and Larry (Kyle Gass).
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It makes sense that a film centered aroundthe importance of a single performancewould highlight the artists that put their careers on the line, butCradle Will Rockwas able to show the malicious forces that threatened to derail the production. While his acting roles are rather limited,John Carpentergave a surprisingly chilling performance as the infamous newspaper tycoonWilliam Randolph Hearst, who had inspired Welles to create the character of Charles Foster Kane inCitizen Kane.Susan Sarandonalso had a rare villainous role as the ruthless Italian critic Margherita Sarfatti, who became a chief advisor to the Fascist Party of Benito Mussolini. AlthoughCradle Will Rockexamined the existential threats to American democracy, it also showed the danger that came with electing politicians who did not represent the will of the people. Despite being generally regarded as one of the most charismatic actors of his generation,John Cusackgives a genuinely chilling performance asNelson Rockefeller.
‘Cradle Will Rock’ Shows the Inspirational Power of Performance
Even though a performance like the one depicted in the film would have only been accessible to a select amount of people,Cradle Will Rockshows the power that being involved in an artistic project can havefor the mental and emotional well-beingof the participant.Paul Giamattimay have been a relative unknown at the time thatCradle Will Rockwent into production, but he gave a very moving performance as the opera singer Carlo, who steadily gains more confidence as the show gets closer to opening its curtains.John Turturrois also fantastic as Aldo Silvano, a character loosely inspired by the real-life actorHoward da Silva; while he was respected at the time, da Silva would gain more attention for his work in groundbreaking musicals like1776andOklahoma!However,Cradle Will Rockalso developed strong interpretations of more well-known figures, includingCary Elwes’ performance as the Academy Award-winning actorJohn Houseman.
Cradle Will Rockexplores the context of why this performance was so groundbreaking, as while it’s now become more common for celebrities to express their political beliefs, those in the film industry in the 1930s risked their careers if they spoke out against the status quo. While the film does not shy away from the impending darkness that would come within the next decade, it does show that any and all resistance is worth investing in, even if it only ends up changing a single mind. Given Robbins’ activism outside of his professional career as an actor,it’s clear that he usedCradle Will Rockto mirror political controversies that were relevant at the time.Today, whenartists are under more fire than ever before,Cradle Will Rockis worth being revisited.
Cradle Will Rock
