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Playing for Time

1980Movie2 h 30 min

DramaMusic
72
GoodGoodWatch score
IMDb7.3Rotten Tomatoes–74%

A deeply moving, profoundly sad drama movie about history and show business, with standout score.

Good for thought-provoking · adults · intergenerational

Skip it if you want something to laugh at · you need an uplifting mood

Where to watch

Set your services

Not streaming in United States. Where it is:

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Not for warmth, comfort or laughs.

Movies with

Story

When a Jewish songstress is plucked from the stage and sent to Auschwitz, she and other musicians find themselves assigned to a terrible task—using their talents to soothe fellow prisoners who are sentenced to die in the gas chambers.

Feels like

  • Holocaust Drama
  • Biographical Tragedy
  • Music as Survival
  • Emotionally Devastating
  • Historical Realism
  • Female Resilience
  • Moral Ambiguity
  • Melodramatic Score
  • TV Movie Classic

Cast

22 of 22

Crew

Directed by
Daniel Mann, Joseph Sargent
Written by
Arthur Miller
Produced by
Linda Yellen, John E. Quill, Bernard Sofronski
Music by
Brad Fiedel

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

September 30, 1980 · 2 h 30 min · Violence, Disturbing Imagery, Strong Language

Released
September 30, 1980
Runtime
2 h 30 min
Content
Violence, Disturbing Imagery, Strong Language
Genres
Drama, Music, History, TV Movie
Original language
English
Made in
United States
Available in
1 country

Tropes

Bilingual Dialogue, Disgusting Public Toilet, Killed Offscreen +5

  • Bilingual Dialogue
  • Disgusting Public Toilet
  • Killed Offscreen
  • Prisoner Performance
  • Historical Domain Character
  • Mark of Shame
  • Traumatic Haircut
  • Shameful Strip

From TV Tropes.

Q&A

4 questions, like "Where can I stream Playing for Time?"

Questions about Playing for Time

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream Playing for Time?

It streams in 1 other country, but not in the United States.

Is Playing for Time worth watching?

72
GoodGoodWatch score

Mostly, it's well received, with a GoodWatch score of 72 (IMDb 7.3).

Will I feel good after watching Playing for Time?

BleakHopeful

Probably not: the title analysis rates it 9 of 10 for bleakness and 9 for melancholy, against 3 for hopefulness.

Is Playing for Time plot-driven or character-driven?

CharactersPlot

Mostly character-driven: it leans on pathos (9 of 10) and character depth (7 of 10) more than on its plot.