Cradle Will Rock is well-filmed and has a political message. It is, however, boring, predictable, and patronizing. I don't see anything wrong with artists putting politics in their art, in fact I encourage it, but Tim Robbins' characters are like Duracell rabbits who carry their messages without any personality or depth (is 'investment' better?). In Cradle Will Rock, Vanessa Redgrave's character mirrors Susan Sarandon's character in Dead Man Walking. They're filled with a mission and they don't ask questions, but hopefully and cheerfully carry their missions out. Dramatic tension? Nope, they're above it (the scripts, characters, and movies). The parallel between the French monarchy (Louis XVI at the eve of the French Revolution, to be exact) and Gray Mathers and his crowd is plain tacky and void of character development. Robbins' is a very shallow reading of history. He can't figure out if he wants to do high art or reach the masses, and the result is not very good at all.
Review of Cradle Will Rock
