The film was met with mostly positive reviews . On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , the film holds an approval rating of 64 % , based on 72 reviews , and an average rating of 6.3 / 10 . On Metacritic , the film has a weighted average score of 64 out of 100 , based on 31 critics , indicating " generally favorable reviews " . While the original production of '' The Cradle Will Rock '' was stated to be " The most exciting evening of theater this New York generation has seen " ( MacLeish , Cole 2000 ) , some critics did not feel the same about Robbins ' reproduction of the event for film . Although it was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival , among other festivals , and some have praised the film as an astute commentary on censorship and the lines between art and life ( Cole 2000 ) , others have criticized the piece for attempting to bring too many themes together into one story , and thus losing the power of the original context altogether ( Alleva 2000 ; Weales 2000 )
1999 Cannes Film Festival
1999 Cannes Film Festival
Cradle Will Rock