Cradle Will Rock

A wonderfully ambitious, old-school ensemble piece, very much in the can-do spirit of community to which it pays homage, this is a politically-undertoned dramedy about theater, censorship, ambition, oppression, Orson Welles and the Great Depression. Written and directed by Tim Robbins, it's a passionate labor of love that celebrates and fictionalizes a legendary moment in American theater, when the government shut down the performance of a musical produced by the Works Progress Administration--and the actors risked their jobs during the bleakest economic season in U.S. history to stage it anyway. Loaded with depth, detail, delightful irony and a non-too-subtle message about free speech, the all-star cast includes John Cusack, Susan Sarandon, Emily Watson, Joan Cusack, Hank Azaria, Bill Murray, John Turturro and Vanessa Redgrave. Virtually unseen in the theaters, this is recommended on video. (R. Blackwelder) [Blu-ray/DVD Review—Aug. 21, 2018—Kino Lorber, 134 min., R, DVD: $11.95, Blu-ray: $19.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 1999’s Cradle Will Rock features a decent transfer with DTS-HD 2.0 audio on the Blu-ray release. Extras include audio commentary by writer-director Tim Robbins, and a production featurette (8 min.). Bottom line: this star-studded period film makes a welcome debut on Blu-ray.]