Milos Foreman's cinematic adaptation of E.L. Doctrow's sprawling pop-culture epic Ragtime follows a variety of characters whose lives intertwine during the earliest years of the 20th century. Brad Dourif plays the meek young brother in a wealthy family who ends up helping Coalhouse Walker Jr. (Howard E. Rollins) when the proud black man stands up to the racism that surrounds him with a criminal act that leads to a standoff with a police commissioner (James Cagney - making his return to the big
screen after fifteen years away). Secondary characters include a street artist (Mandy Patinkin) who gets his foot in the door of the nascent film business, and a flighty young woman (Elizabeth McGovern) who inspires men who desire her to violence. Randy Newman composed the score, which included a song that earned him his first Oscar nomination. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
Sporadically engaging, Milos Forman's chronicle of American society and culture in the beginning of the twentieth century is too sprawling and dramatically diffuse, though some of the acting is excellent.
It drags here and there but mostly a fine epic film
January 2, 2008
jay nixon
Super Reviewer
Milos Forman usually delivers a quality film, as is the case here. an intricately weaving story about American life in the early 20th century. enjoyable as it was, the story was kind of all over the place. Elizabeth McGovern pretty much disappears after the first act...blows off Brad Dourif and ends up working for
street-artist-turned-film-director (another plot detail I don't quite understand) Mandy Patinkin. but storylines petering off seems to be a common trend. I suppose an underlying theme of the whole film could be the search for justice, but nobody really finds it. kind of depressing, actually, when you consider how many people get screwed in this movie. scattered plot and vague themes aside, this is still an entertaining film with a great cast of characters played by a great cast of actors. it's a testament to Forman's directing that even his so-so films are pretty good.
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