Overview
A poignant exploration of justice and identity in early 20th century America.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- sorrowful
- tense
- elegant
- historical film night
- literary adaptation viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly admired the performances, cinematography, and graceful period presentation, while finding the sprawling narrative uneven and sometimes unsatisfying.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The story interweaves Coalhouse Walker Jr., an unnamed affluent family, Evelyn Nesbit, Booker T. Washington, and other period figures.
Coalhouse Walker Jr. seeks legal redress after white firefighters damage his car, but authorities repeatedly deny him justice.
The comfortable white family’s world is set against Coalhouse’s struggle for dignity and the broader inequities of 1910s New York.
The film mounts early twentieth-century New York, ragtime performance culture, automobiles, public spectacles, and historical personalities on an expansive scale.
Films like Ragtime, and why
The Color Purple
period social drama examining racism, class hierarchy, and intersecting lives in early twentieth-century America
To Kill a Mockingbird
historical ensemble drama confronting racial injustice through richly drawn characters and emotional storytelling
The House of Mirth
ambitious literary period drama combining social history, class conflict, and multiple character storylines
Movie Details
- Director
- Miloš Forman
- Release Date
- 1981-11-20
- Runtime
- 155 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (198)
Cast
- James Cagney
- Brad Dourif
- Moses Gunn
- Elizabeth McGovern
- Kenneth McMillan
- Pat O'Brien
- Donald O'Connor
- James Olson
- Mandy Patinkin
- Howard Rollins
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Ragtime about?
- An expansive 1910s New York drama follows a celebrated Black pianist whose pursuit of justice exposes the era’s entrenched racial and class order.
- What is Ragtime like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Ragtime as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Ragtime violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Ragtime as moderate.
- What did critics think of Ragtime?
- Critics broadly admired the performances, cinematography, and graceful period presentation, while finding the sprawling narrative uneven and sometimes unsatisfying.
- Which films are like Ragtime?
- Films with a similar feel include The Color Purple, To Kill a Mockingbird, and The House of Mirth.
- How long is Ragtime?
- Ragtime runs 155 minutes.
- Where can I watch Ragtime?
- In United States, Ragtime is available to rent or buy from Google Play Movies, YouTube, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home.
