Matewan (1987)

In my opinion, Matewan didn't look great. It was based during the 1920 in the life of coal workers in West Virginia going on strike. It was straight forward. The cinematography was amazing for an indie film. I was surprised in some scenes but most of it was a blur. The main characters were cynical men who hated there lives. There is no justice for the black men that are coming from Alabama to work in the coal mines out or work and no way to support there family they travel to west Virginia to work in the coal mine. The white men form the coal mines in West Virginia onto accept these black men.This happens the same in the mountains of Chiapas for the indigenous people and the Mexican government not acknowledging them part of the people. They are angry because there is no work and for a black man to get a job and cut there hours sound ridiculous for them. The movie was boring and a blur there were moments where the Man sticks up for him self in the cabins sticking up for his rights that he deserves the same amount of money as they do because he works as hard as they do. The scene of the black man for me represents how this issue relates to my project and the injustice some face. The unions is a way to unite all races blacks, whites, and Italian coal miners, this what Danny i explain to them.

I live in Australia, so this type of American history is quite often unknown here. Over the past few weeks, I have been studying the history of the American coal mining industry. It has not been pleasant taking it all in. I recently watched a documentary Called "Harlan County USA", which covered the miners strike in the 1970's. I learned from that there was more to learn about the strike in the that occurred 1920's in Matewan, West Virginia. Fortunately I found this movie, "Matewan" and watched it. It is hard to imagine this kind of of corporate brutality being tolerated today. The acting is first rate and the screenplay is excellent. This movie looks gritty and believable. The main character, Joe Kenehan (Chris Cooper) is a pacifist union man sent to Matewan to try to organize the workers to form a union to fight for better conditions. He finds the workers and their families are divided and cautious on the idea. To try to quell the issue, the mining company sends two heavies in to intimidate all those concerned. The two heavies, Hickey (Kevin Tighe)and Griggs (Gordon Clapp), would have to be the most vindictive characters that I have ever seen on screen. They make your skin crawl. The events that play out until the final confrontation, are tense and realistically done. This is not a "feel good" movie, but it is a very important dramatization of a time and place that should never be forgotten. A must see movie.

I found the movie to be very good. The sole problem is that there is so much information to convey in a short period of time, there had to be some glossing over of the events that transpired.Being a big issue for the region at the time, the movie captured the feel of the plight of the area so well. If you are looking for more information and in greater depth than the 127 minutes of the film allows, try and find the book "Night Comes to the Cumberlands" by Harry M Caudhill which deals with the plight of the miners.Having the miners paid by company scrip and the shops (owned by the companies) taking scrip for their goods only was such a cunning move.

This is a powerful film depicting both the conditions under which most mineworkers labored and the social conditions existing in the 1920-1930 era of our American history. It accurately portrays the manner in which powerful industrial interests manipulated the worker's economic dependency using 'script' issued in lieu of lawful and legal tender and controlled the acquisition of basic needs such as shelter, food, and clothing. By "owning" the stores, controlling employment, threatening the physical well-being of its employees, and hiring of thugs to intimidate individuals and their ability to implement any organized mutual assistance, these wealthy and powerful companies sought to (and succeeded in ) maximizing their profits by using the labor of the poor and impotent at almost no cost to the company.One needs to search intensely to finally reveal the true history of our period of industrialization. It is of great credit to the producer's and director's of such films as "Matewan" that we can see clearly the history and ongoing great struggle between the working class and the wealthy elite to obtain their proper share of "profits."This is a film where one enters a theater to be "entertained", but leaves having the stirrings of compassion and outrage raised in their hearts. It reminds us that there is a human price paid for economic gain.