Ragtime

On 13 November, the volunteer film enthusiasts from Les Cinéastes invite you to share their passion for *Ragtime*, Milos Forman’s little-known masterpiece released in 1981. To highlight the injustices of society, Forman paints a portrait of three characters from minority backgrounds in search of ...

On 13 November, the volunteer film enthusiasts from Les Cinéastes invite you to share their passion for *Ragtime*, Milos Forman’s little-known masterpiece released in 1981.
Ragtime, a musical genre mainly played on the piano, originated in the late 19th century in the United States within the African-American community; it drew heavily on the ‘cake-wake’ (a dance performed by slaves) and was a precursor to jazz. The most iconic piece remains Scott Joplin’s ‘The Entertainer’, which features in the film *The Sting*.
Milos Forman used it as the title for a historical epic set in America during the Belle Époque, spanning a decade from 1902 to 1912. In this socially conscious ensemble film, the destinies of historical figures from the early 20th century (Roosevelt, Freud, Houdini and the banker J.P. Morgan) intersect with those of three New York families, hailing from social backgrounds that, on the face of it, were never meant to cross paths.
To expose a society rife with glaring injustices, Forman portrays three characters from minority backgrounds in search of emancipation: a Black pianist, a young actress who was a feminist ahead of her time, and a young Jewish émigré aspiring to become a filmmaker.