'Rock': Robbins' period politics
By Courtney Carr | February 1, 2000"Cradle Will Rock," written and directed by Tim Robbins, begins with a blaring newsreel that recalls the opening of Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane." Robbins also makes use of long, mobile takes, just as Welles did in "Touch of Evil." But don't let such similarities trick you into thinking that "Cradle" will become any kind of classic, much less one worthy of comparison with "Kane." A course on newspaper journalism of the time or on William Randolph Hearst's life isn't necessary to enjoy and understand Welles' masterpiece.
