CADENCE (1990)

Directed By: Martin Sheen
Written By: Dennis Shryack
Based On the Novel “Count on a lonely Cadence” By Gordon Weaver
Cinematography By: Richard Leiterman
Editor: Martin Hunter

Cast: Charlie Sheen, Martin Sheen, Laurence Fishburne, Michael Beach, James Marshall, F Murray Abraham


This film seemed like a attempt to give a opinion on race relations and how alike we all are. While also telling a civil rights story involved in the military. Now while it does feel like a film beating us over the head with it’s message. It actually ends with a Downtrodden ending that bears maybe a bit of hope.

The film stars Charlie sheen as a continuous fuck up in the military who gets reassigned to a prison unit that is all black. At first he doesn’t get along with anyone but the longer he stays the longer he gets to know everyone and they all end up working on a project. Now this platoon is overseen by a general who has it in fro Charlie sheen’s character and is played by The Director His father Martin sheen. Whose character may also have metal problems there relationship came to remind me of Matthew Broderick’s and Christopher Walken’s in Biloxi blues just not as funny.

While the film tackles race relations the film feels more like a forgotten film. During the early 90’s it seems like studios were making films with modest budgets with minor stars of the time. The films felt like they came off a assembly line like the studio had just bought a lot of scripts that they decided to clean out or dust off and finally make to hopefully make a profit. A lot of these films seems like they had interesting plots and may have made excellent short stories, but they couldn’t sustain there material over a film length.

Now I will admit at the time I was a fan of Charlie Sheen, but I was a huge fan of his father’s Martin. Ever since seeing APOCOLYPSE NOW and BADLANDS I was always amazed by him and never understood why he didn’t become a bigger star so anytime he was in a film I made it my duty to try and catch it. So with him directing and appearing in it this film was a must see. I always felt sad for Emilio Estevez who was a star in his own right but never seemed to reach the stature or get the respect his brother Charlie did. It also seemed like that since he was the more stable son that Charlie was his fathers favorite as he was always willing to work more with Charlie or put him I his films. Where as he rarely seemed to acknowledge Emilio or even ask him to co-star even it seems denying him the last name of sheen. But that is between them I can only comment on what I see. Now while I enjoy the film. It’s not great and far from a crowd pleaser but I think it is a film worth discovering. There isn’t much to say about the film no hidden agenda or messages the film is pretty cut and dry.

A satisfying Rental

GRADE: B-