A look at Labor Unions on Film

The onset of overlapping strikes by the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists has put Hollywood on hiatus. It has also thrust the subjects of workplace equity and labor relations back into the headlines.

Following, in alphabetical order, are capsule reviews of some prominent movies that deal with those topics. If applicable, information for obtaining them on DVD and/or Blu-ray is also included.

“Cesar Chavez” (2014)

Understated but valuable portrait of the famed labor leader and pacifist (Michael Peña) who, together with Dolores Huerta (Rosario Dawson), founded the union that would eventually be known as the United Farm Workers of America in 1962. In director Diego Luna’s leisurely paced dramatization, Chavez struggles against the oppressive machinations of various farm owners (most significantly John Malkovich). But his single-minded dedication to achieving justice through nonviolence — which, at one point, leads him to undertake a prolonged, life-threatening fast — exacts a toll on his supportive wife (America Ferrera) and alienated eldest son (Eli Vargas). Together with the educational significance of the film as a whole, believers will especially appreciate the fact that Chavez’s Catholic faith is always in the background and sometimes front and center as this meditative take on his story unfolds. Possibly acceptable for older teens. Some violence, racial slurs, a few uses of profanity, at least one rough term, occasional crude and crass language. The OSV News classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. (Lionsgate Home Entertainment; also available on Blu-ray)

“Germinal” (1994)

Evocative French adaptation of Emile Zola’s novel about the inhuman working conditions of 19th-century coal miners who decide on a strike (led by Gerard Depardieu) when their meager wages are cut. But with hunger, soldiers and scab labor undercutting their resolve, some return to work only to be trapped when the mine is flooded by an anarchist (Laurent Terzieff). Director Claude Berri’s sprawling, large-scale production dramatically re-creates the historical period, portraying its oppressive social injustices from the perspective of an impoverished worker’s family and their struggle for elemental human rights and some modest measure of human dignity. Subtitles. Restrained depiction of labor violence, including soldiers firing on workers and their families and the castration of a dead body, casual sexual relationships and brief nudity. The OSV News classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

“Harlan County, U.S.A.” (1977)

Filmed during a bitter 13-month coal strike in eastern Kentucky, the documentary examines the strike’s origins, the working and living conditions of the miners and the violence that breaks out between the pickets and strikebreakers. Though flawed by a clumsy narrative structure that is sometimes confusing, filmmaker Barbara Kopple’s stirring picture of the still unfinished struggle for labor justice has the raw power of reality and the passion of the workers’ cause. The OSV News classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG — parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children. (Criterion)

“I’m All Right Jack” (1959)

Dated British comedy about an inept college graduate (Ian Carmichael) given a factory job by a dishonest uncle (Dennis Price) who’ll make a bundle if his dim nephew gums up the works for a bit, but he instead causes a union work stoppage that grows into a general strike crippling the entire country. Directed by John Boulting, the picture’s satiric jabs at the self-serving aims of industry management, labor unions, government bureaucracy and media hoopla seem rather overcooked today, though the humorous performances of a top cast, including Peter Sellers as a wooly shop steward, are still quite enjoyable. Satiric treatment of corruption and comic sexual innuendo. The OSV News classification is A-III — adults. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association.

“Joe Hill” (1971)

Turn-of-the-century labor saga of an itinerant union organizer for the International Workers of the World (I.W.W. or more commonly, the Wobblies), about whom little is known except that he wrote a number of songs popular in the labor movement. Swedish director Bo Widerberg has taken this almost mythical character and fleshed out a personality that is more poetic than real, yet Tommy Berggren’s appealing performance as Joe makes credible his dedication to society’s unfortunate and downtrodden. The OSV News classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG — parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

“Matewan” (1987)

Arriving in the coal fields of West Virginia after World War I, a union organizer (Chris Cooper) tries to help the miners win a bitter, bloody strike. Written and directed by John Sayles, the fact-based movie is admirable in its idealistic picture of the workers’ solidarity in standing together against the company’s reliance upon force. Some graphic violence and a verbal account of a sexual assault. The OSV News classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. (Criterion; also available on Blu-ray)

“The Molly Maguires” (1970)

Hard-hitting drama set in the Pennsylvania coal mining fields during the 1880s when the mine owners hire an undercover agent (Richard Harris) to ferret out the leaders (Sean Connery and Anthony Zerbe) of a secret band of miners known as the Molly Maguires who resort to terrorist tactics to force better pay and working conditions. Director Martin Ritt has made a thoughtful movie about the futility of using violence to redress injustices. More menace than bloodshed. The OSV News classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG — parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children. (Paramount Home Entertainment; also available on Blu-ray)

“On the Waterfront” (1954)

Classic labor film about a punched-out boxer (Marlon Brando) who, despite the machinations of his shifty brother (Rod Steiger), but with some encouragement from the woman (Eva Marie Saint) he loves as well as a waterfront priest (Karl Malden), decides to stand up to the criminal boss (Lee J. Cobb) of a corrupt union of dock workers. Budd Schulberg’s fact-based script is directed by Elia Kazan with stand-out performances and a gritty realism grounded in a working-class milieu, aided by Leonard Bernstein’s rousing score and Boris Kauffman’s atmospheric photography. Much menace and some violence. The OSV News classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association. (?Sony Pictures Home Entertainment; also available on Blu-ray)

“The Organizer” (1963)

Prime Italian import about underpaid factory workers in turn-of-the-century Turin as they try to form a union with the help of a teacher-turned-labor organizer (Marcello Mastroianni). Directed by Mario Monicelli, the production is steeped in a sense of social justice, clearly showing management’s exploitation of the workers and the blighted lives of their impoverished families. Subtitles. Earthy treatment and vulgar language. The OSV News classification is A-III — adults. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association. (Criterion; also available on Blu-ray)

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