Cadence (1990)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Martin Sheen

Writers (WGA):

Gordon Weaver (novel)
Dennis Shryack (screenplay)

Release Date:

18 January 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Sometimes you've got to stand out to fit in.

Plot:

Charlie Sheen plays a rebellious inmate in an Army stockade. |

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Sergeant | Army Life | 1960s | Based On Novel

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Charlie Sheen	...	Pfc. Franklin Fairchild Bean
Martin Sheen	...	MSgt. Otis V. McKinney
Laurence Fishburne	...	Roosevelt Stokes (as Larry Fishburne)
Blu Mankuma	...	Eugene 'Spoonman' Bryce
Michael Beach	...	Edward James Webb
Harry Stewart	...	Harry 'Sweetbread' Crane
John Toles-Bey	...	Andrew Lawrence
James Marshall	...	Cpl. Harold Lamar
Ramon Estevez	...	Cpl. Gerald Gessner
Jay Brazeau	...	Mr. Vito
Samantha Langevin	...	Mrs. Vito
Ken Douglas	...	Kramer
Weston McMillan	...	DeLuc
David Michael O'Neill	...	Sager
Allan Lysell	...	Sheridan (Prosecutor)

Also Known As:

Count a Lonely Cadence
Stockade (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Singapore:PG | Australia:PG | Germany:12 | Norway:10 (original rating) | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Ashcroft, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Movie Group, The

Trivia:

The passage being read aloud by 'Spoonman' Bryce on Bean's first day at hard labor near the windmill is found in Chapter 5 of the book, "The Brothers Karamazov" by 'Fyodor Dostoevsky'.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When MSG McKinney is talking to Bean during the first "hat clear" check, the boom mic is reflected in McKinney's sunglasses.

Quotes:

[repeated line]
Cpl. Gerald Gessner: Gig for Bean!

Soundtrack:

Subterranean Homesick Blues

Thassa Sow Nutha-men - Wurkinonna Chayyne -- Gah-E-Yang...

Caveat: I saw this movie at least ten years ago.

Most folks are right about this film. Tired plot and strained character development despite some very good performances. So why am I writing my comments here? Because what sticks in the brain with this movie is not the plot, but the camaraderie. Not the standard prison barracks/exercise yard type, but a rather unique form that takes shape when the men march to an extremely soulful version of "Chain Gang."

But it has more than soul. It has "Cadence." Weirdly, the men keeping lock step with this is oddly counter-soul. Their march is a metaphor for some parts of the film, but a sure thing was missed by not exploiting this aspect further. What emerged as the main plot in this film would have made a fine subplot, but it wasn't enough to carry it into being very, very good.

No, the brilliance here is in the memorable (and haunting) marching footage, with the soloist tenor lending tenderness to the sing-song soldier cadence and the clomp-clomp-clomp of marching boots, and the stagger-step "fill" where each soldier, as one, does a double step and strikes his breastbone. It's like some uber-military statement and yet it is actually done in defiance.

Enough to carry a film? Not at all. Worth seeing, though? Absolutely, if you like strong film elements that stay with you for a long, long time.

-- TGR