IMDb RATING
6.5/10
6.1K
YOUR RATING
Charlie Sheen plays a rebellious inmate in an Army stockade.Charlie Sheen plays a rebellious inmate in an Army stockade.Charlie Sheen plays a rebellious inmate in an Army stockade.
- Awards
- 1 nomination
Tom McBeath
- Principal
- (as Tom Mcbeath)
Jenn Griffin
- Tattooist
- (as Jennifer Griffin)
Laurence Fishburne
- Stokes
- (as Larry Fishburne)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaGary Busey was cast as McKinney. However, nine days into production, Busey's erratic behavior on set caused director Martin Sheen to fire him and step into the role himself.
- GoofsThe flags in the courtroom are reversed; the flag of the United States should be positioned to its own right of any other flag or standard, even on an American military installation on foreign soil. Also U.S. Army flags or standards, even the National Flag, should have spearhead pole finials instead of eagle pole finials. Eagles are reserved for civilian flags and the President of the United States.
- Quotes
[repeated line]
Cpl. Gerald Gessner: Gig for Bean!
- SoundtracksChain Gang
Written by Sam Cooke
Featured review
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
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
helpful•33
- DeuxAmis
- May 6, 2004
- How long is Cadence?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $4,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $2,070,871
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $173,601
- Jan 21, 1991
- Gross worldwide
- $2,070,871
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