Daniel (1983)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Sidney Lumet

Writers:

E.L. Doctorow (novel)
E.L. Doctorow (screenplay)

Release Date:

7 March 1984 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The fictionalized story of Daniel, the son of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were executed as Soviet spies in the 1950s.

Plot Keywords:

1950s | Soviet Spy | 1960s | Cold War | Brother Sister Relationship

Cast

Timothy Hutton	...	Daniel Isaacson
Mandy Patinkin	...	Paul Isaacson
Lindsay Crouse	...	Rochelle Isaacson
Edward Asner	...	Jacob Ascher
Ellen Barkin	...	Phyllis Isaacson
Julie Bovasso	...	Frieda Stein
Tovah Feldshuh	...	Linda Mindish
Joseph Leon	...	Selig Mindish
Carmen Mathews	...	Mrs. Ascher
Norman Parker	...	East Bronx Children's Shelter Director
Amanda Plummer	...	Susan Isaacson
Lee Richardson	...	Reporter
John Rubinstein	...	Robert Lewin
Colin Stinton	...	Dale
Maria Tucci	...	Lise Lewin

Runtime:

130 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M | Argentina:16 | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The execution scenes were filmed in the former death chamber at Sing Sing Prison utilizing the electric chair that once sat there.

One of the best movies I've ever seen

Excellent, fictionalized account of the Rosenberg story. Looked at from all perspectives from the early 1950's to the late 60's. We come away not caring if they did it or not! Lindsay Crouse stands out in her role as Rochelle. Mandy Patinkin is excellent. as always. They seem to steal the show from Hutton. The Paul Robeson (Monitor label) recordings also add to the picture's stunning realism. This is certainly one of the better movies of the early 1980's. The E.L. Doctorow screenplay is better than the novel, "The Book of Daniel" which I thought was rather strange. If I hadn't seen the movie first, I would have been lost just reading the book.