Post by klep on May 15, 2017 6:46:57 GMT -6
MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 5/15: Harlan County U.S.A.
THIRD WEEK OF DOCUMENTARY MONTH
While the power of unions in America has waned a great deal with the advent of so-called "Right to Work" legislation, there was a time not so long ago when they were a powerful political force in America. Lower class workers were able to make great strides into the middle class thanks to the efforts they and their unions took to force companies to improve their station. But it wasn't easy, and it wasn't guaranteed, and it wasn't even safe.
Barbara Kopple's Harlan County U.S.A. follows the Brookside Strike in Harlan County, Kentucky, where 180 miners struck against the Eastover Mining Company and Duke Power. Living in ramshackle homes built by the company without even running water, these miners sought merely a job that would let them support their families, and an employer that considered their lives to have value.
Kopple chronicles the full length of the strike, which lasted over a year. We see the pickets, the police, and the public relations efforts (e.g., protesting on Wall Street or having out-of-state union members marching through town in solidarity). As desperation grows on both sides, we see violence and ultimately a favorable resolution. The miners and their families display remarkable resolve, powering through discouragement and threats to achieve their goals. It's a great story.
But what really makes the documentary so strong is the context that Kopple provides. Initially aiming to cover the turbulent UMWA elections of 1970, she naturally has plenty of footage about the frustration members felt with a leadership they saw as too cozy with the mining companies. But she also spends a great deal of time with retired miners and families of current miners, getting their stories of past strikes and the toll the dangerous job takes on them. It provides us with a background that's critical for us understanding the stakes of this fight beyond just what it means for these specific miners - each victory raises the bar for subsequent contracts and makes the future brighter for all UMWA members.
But Kopple isn't naive. She gives us a moment to celebrate, then reality quickly sets in. The new contract only does so much, and even the industry-wide contract the UMWA negotiates a year later after another strike has its issues. And as the credits roll, we learn of another strike in 1975, and another in 1976 (the year the film was released). The message is clear - the victories matter, but the mining companies will never stop trying to exploit their workers. The union must always be vigilant, and the workers must always stand together.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 5/22: Sans Soleil
FOURTH WEEK OF DOCUMENTARY MONTH!
Widely considered one of the best documentaries of all time, our next Movie of the Week is Chris Marker's Sans Soleil, a meditation on memory and its imperfection. Sans Soleil is available on Filmstruck's Criterion channel.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 5/16: Stop Making Sense
Next week the podcast is taking a look at the late, great Jonathan Demme as the premiere concert documentarian, with Stop Making Sense and last year's Justin Timberlake + The Tennessee Kids. Join us Wednesday for a discussion of the former, which is available for rent on Amazon Video, though it is not free for Prime members.
THIRD WEEK OF DOCUMENTARY MONTH
While the power of unions in America has waned a great deal with the advent of so-called "Right to Work" legislation, there was a time not so long ago when they were a powerful political force in America. Lower class workers were able to make great strides into the middle class thanks to the efforts they and their unions took to force companies to improve their station. But it wasn't easy, and it wasn't guaranteed, and it wasn't even safe.
Barbara Kopple's Harlan County U.S.A. follows the Brookside Strike in Harlan County, Kentucky, where 180 miners struck against the Eastover Mining Company and Duke Power. Living in ramshackle homes built by the company without even running water, these miners sought merely a job that would let them support their families, and an employer that considered their lives to have value.
Kopple chronicles the full length of the strike, which lasted over a year. We see the pickets, the police, and the public relations efforts (e.g., protesting on Wall Street or having out-of-state union members marching through town in solidarity). As desperation grows on both sides, we see violence and ultimately a favorable resolution. The miners and their families display remarkable resolve, powering through discouragement and threats to achieve their goals. It's a great story.
But what really makes the documentary so strong is the context that Kopple provides. Initially aiming to cover the turbulent UMWA elections of 1970, she naturally has plenty of footage about the frustration members felt with a leadership they saw as too cozy with the mining companies. But she also spends a great deal of time with retired miners and families of current miners, getting their stories of past strikes and the toll the dangerous job takes on them. It provides us with a background that's critical for us understanding the stakes of this fight beyond just what it means for these specific miners - each victory raises the bar for subsequent contracts and makes the future brighter for all UMWA members.
But Kopple isn't naive. She gives us a moment to celebrate, then reality quickly sets in. The new contract only does so much, and even the industry-wide contract the UMWA negotiates a year later after another strike has its issues. And as the credits roll, we learn of another strike in 1975, and another in 1976 (the year the film was released). The message is clear - the victories matter, but the mining companies will never stop trying to exploit their workers. The union must always be vigilant, and the workers must always stand together.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 5/22: Sans Soleil
FOURTH WEEK OF DOCUMENTARY MONTH!
Widely considered one of the best documentaries of all time, our next Movie of the Week is Chris Marker's Sans Soleil, a meditation on memory and its imperfection. Sans Soleil is available on Filmstruck's Criterion channel.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 5/16: Stop Making Sense
Next week the podcast is taking a look at the late, great Jonathan Demme as the premiere concert documentarian, with Stop Making Sense and last year's Justin Timberlake + The Tennessee Kids. Join us Wednesday for a discussion of the former, which is available for rent on Amazon Video, though it is not free for Prime members.