Matewan

This 1987 film, written and directed by John Sayles, is based on a real incident from the 1920, when workers from a West Virginia coal mine went on strike. Chris Cooper stars as a labor union organizer who comes to the town which is run the Company that have just brought in a trainload of black men as well as a group of Italian families to do the work of the strikers. James Earl Jones is cast as the leader of the blacks who says out loud that he understands people can't help calling him the 'N' word, but no man can ever call him a 'scab'. Will Oldham is cast as a 14-year old mine worker and sometimes preacher. There are heroes and villains in this film, and Kevin Tighe and Gordon Clapp are the kind of bad guys you love to hate.

The pace is slow as the story unfolds, each actor giving depth to his or her role. The Union is represented as a good and unifying force for the diverse types of people caught up in the drama. The company is represented as bad. Really bad. Not only did they exploit their workers and push people out of their homes, they also did not stop at brutal murder. There were enough personal stories to keep the film interesting although I found some of the speeches a little long and talky. It was all about mood and bleakness and John Sayles sure is a master of setting the mood. Most of the extras in the film lived in the area of Appalachia where it was shot and the close-ups of their faces added to the film's authenticity.

One of the problems was that the transfer of the film to DVD wasn't done well. The sound was muffled and some of the words were indistinct. And the shots set in the forest were so dark that it was hard to tell what was going on. I enjoyed the film although I thought it was too long. Followers of John Sayles work will enjoy it though, as well as those with an interest in union struggle. See the film Blue Collar too.

Great film which in todays globalised world is as relevant as ever. The scene where the union organiser explains what a union should be is a lesson for any trade union activist.

Honest believable performances all round and not a bad score either.

I've always been a fan of John Sayles films since I saw Lianna and The Return of the Secaucus Seven years ago. This is one of his films that it's taken me a while to get round to seeing and it was definitely worth the wait. It sounds like its going to be pretty dull and a bit worthy but is actually absolutely compelling, with a superb cast (including Sayles regulars Chris Cooper and David Strathairn, both incredibly accomplished actors) and a story that keeps your attention from start to finish. My husband tends to prefer movies with guns and explosions but we were both riveted throughout and agreed that it was excellent. You won't regret adding this to your list.

'Matewan' is enjoyable because the story of the Workers oppressed by the Bosses is always a good one. But, quite early on, I found myself thinking, 'This isn't just inspired by 'Germinal', it's a rip-off of 'Germinal'! It's different, in parts, of course, being set in the good old USA, with guns an' everyfink, but 'Germinal' is much more powerful, with Gérard Depardieu in the lead and from the pen of a master novelist, Emile Zola. The photography of 'Germinal' is brilliant, with the the black, clanging, pit-head and underground at the coal-face, and the scenes with the rich, bourgeois, coal owners give a contrast to the lives of the miners which adds greatly to the poignancy of the tale. I'm afraid 'Matewan' doesn't match the power of 'Germinal' and seems a bit two-dimensional and cardboard in comparison - and I kept thinking, 'But it's been done before' (even to the extent of copying the café scenes in 'Germinal') 'and better'.

See for yourself. Rent 'Germinal'.