It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

This is ultimately a movie about the very bad things that can happen when we don't address our unease, when we just try to brush it off, whether that's to fit in or to preserve our self-image.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Just finished watching this lovely, ethereal, haunting and enchanting film. Well acted, beautifully and naturally written dialogue, period costumes, hair, atmosphere and throughout it all, the music. Also recently watched "The Sting," an academy award winner many remember for its music, a soundtrack provided by Marvin Hamlisch based on the music of Scott Joplin. "The Sting" is set in 1936. Joplin died in 1917, almost 20 years earlier. Joplin's music didn't fit the film or the time period. There was plenty of great popular music in the 1930's, maybe not as upbeat as Joplin's syncopated piano rolls. "The Sting" was a just another buddy flick for Newman and Redford. A period piece it was not.Not so with Ragtime. I'm sure, as another reviewer wrote, there were anachronisms within the characters whose lives tell the story. But the music! It is glorious. It is spot on.The story, like the glorious melting pot of influences that made ragtime music, is the changing of American society as it moved toward World War. And throughout it all, there was the music.

At the end you miss the point at the end. There is no explanation for the police commissioners action. It was stated in another review that this scene was cut, then you wonder what other stupid cuts were made. The main character did give up and come out so why was he shot? Also it was not explained why the wife left the husband with her children when it appeared the father was doing all the right things and being honorable. Why did she leave him? With the end just ending and missing these appears to me just to make no sense and the two plus hours was a waste of time to me. There are many characters in this film and they do not directly tie in so it is hard to keep track of why they are there.

Evoking the spirit and look of turn of the century New York, I was dumbfounded to learn that most of the filming for "Ragtime" took place at Shepperton Studios in London. This was Cagney's first appearance before the cameras for almost twenty years, due in large measure to his doctor's insistence that he get back to work to 'recharge his batteries'. Cagney was being treated for diabetes following a slight stroke in 1977. Following a lunch meeting with director Milos Forman, Cagney willingly agreed to accept a part that he found suitable, a toss-up between his eventual role as Police Commissioner Rhinelander Waldo, and Mandy Patinkin's character Tateh. To get Cagney, Forman offered him ANY part in the picture, including that of Evelyn Nesbitt if he thought it would work. Fortunately, senility was not one of Cagney's ailments.Knowing a good deal of the country's history of slavery from the mid 1800's through the Civil Rights turmoil of the Sixties, it's a bit difficult to place in context what blacks would have been going through about mid-way in that span. Prior to the altercation with the firemen, Coalhouse Walker Jr. (Howard Rollins) seemed to have fashioned a rather successful career for himself as a ragtime piano player for the Clef Club Band - "I read music so good white folks think I'm fakin' it." So as an impartial viewer, I was torn between Walker's commitment to a cause and his bullheaded approach to seeking retributive justice. This was one of those 'unintended consequences' stories that ended badly for the picture's central character. It forces the viewer to make a mental choice between sucking it up and walking away, or setting in motion a string of events that's bound to end badly. Personally, I believe I would have seen the wisdom of backing down in favor of a larger battle should one emerge down the road.As a classic film fan of movies made from the Thirties through the Fifties, I've seen just about all of Jimmy Cagney's team-ups with contemporary Pat O'Brien, my favorite being "Angels With Dirty Faces". If my math is correct, they did eight films together prior to "Ragtime", all of them back in the day of course. So my one disappointment with the picture in question is that there was no scene of them together. Come on, how hard would that have been to write into the script?

RAGTIME…Director Milos Forman… Cast Inc… JAMES CAGNEY…Pat O'Brien…Donald O'Connor… This cast is a blast from the past… We film for a few days at Oxford and for me it doesn't get any better than this. The scenes are interior of a big office and I'm dressed as a US cop. Pat O'Brien came onto the set first and shook hands with many of the Supporting Artists (Including me) ''How are you son, you look good'' he said.. Well that's the best way for me to start the day because now I felt good that this man had taken time to welcome all of us. Pat moved around the room chatting to cast and crew alike and we were all waiting for the main man to arrive on set.. The noise was quite deafening until someone said ''He's here''. You could have heard a pin drop as the main man entered the set. Everyone stood and applauded and waited for James Cagney to take his position on the set before silence resumed. There they were in front of me my two heroes of the black and white days of cinema. I think I've seen every film that James has made (Some of them many times) I feel sorry for the kids of today that never got to see he's early films and think a good film today has to be bombarded with special effects to make it work. Let me list some of films of James Cagney to let the kids of today and tomorrow know what they have missed. The Public Enemy (1931), Scarface (1932), Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), White Heat (1949). Then in the 50s Love Me Or Leave Me (With Doris Day), Mr Roberts. (With a young Jack Lemmon). I could watch all these films again and never tire. This was to be James Cagney's last film and I would like to say, thank you Mr Cagney for entertaining me for so many years.