Matewan

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Still affected by COUNTRY BOYS, we rented this obscure John Sayles flick about the struggle to unionize miners in Matewan, a small West Virginia mining town, set in 1920.

Like Sayles' EIGHT MEN OUT, this is a story sympathetic to a group of salt-of-the-earth, sometimes foolish men grappling with the consequences of choosing to rebel against their employer.

Chris Cooper plays a professional union organizer who works to unite striking white miner locals with the Italians and blacks who are trucked in as scabs, then must keep them together against a series of underhanded and increasingly violent counter-strategies by the company.

Basically the whole EIGHT MEN OUT cast is there including Eddie Cicotte*, who plays the sherriff; Ring Lardner**, who plays a preacher; and Ray Schalk and Sport Sullivan****, who play a pair of thoroughly evil company lawmen. James Earl Jones does a nice job as the heroic leader of the black miners.

Loosely based upon true events, I'm certain this movie is not available at Wal-Mart. While Sayles does a fine job presenting socialist ideals as perfectly reasonable and ultimately just (When Cooper's character is asked "Are you a red?" he answers, "Yes."), the company men POV is a little over-the-top: Schalk and Sullivan take glee in their ugly duties.

Still, an enjoyable, eye-opening movie, and a lot more action-packed than I ever thought it would be.

7/10
* -David Strathairn
** - John Sayles
*** - Gordon Clapp and Kevin Tighe

[Guest sharpie]

Actually, it wasn't obscure when released, at least for a John Sayles movie. I believe it is still the biggest budget he's ever worked with. Good film.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

Matewan was an Oscar nominee for Best Cinematography. Plus I remember that James Earl Jones was excellent (as always) in the film.

[Guest Matt Murdock, Esq.]

Far and away Sayles' best movie.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Well, it was obscure to me.

We just got a dvd player finally, and I went to a video store for the first time in years and that's what I got.

NETWORK too. Also, THE WARRIORS, special editon. Triple feature.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Any film with an Emergency! tighe-in has a lot going for it.

[Vic Sage]

warrrrrrriors.... come out to play-ayyyyy... (clink clink clink)

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Great documentary that comes with the "special edition" tells of how the actor who played Luther improvised that scene on the spot, channeling a neighborhood bully from his own childhood, and using props that were just lying on the ground there in Coney Island.

I'll go start a thread.

[Theoldmole]

Matewan is probably on my all-time Top Ten list. I loved it.

If you can find it, get and read John Sayles' novel, Union Dues. The story of Matewan is a small part of it.