Matewan | INDY GENIUS

Matewan | Bringing A Little-Known And Shocking Episode In US History To Modern Audiences

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Matewan

	Matewan average customer review:based on 63 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A little-known chapter of American labor history is brought vividly to life in this period drama from writer-director John Sayles. It's a fictional story about labor wars among West Virginia coal miners during the 1920's, but every detail is so right that the film has the unmistakable ring of truth. The tension begins when the Stone Mountain Coal Company of Matewan, West Virginia, announces a lower pay rate for miners, who respond by calling a strike under the leadership of a United Mine Workers representative (Chris Cooper). Proving strength in numbers, the miners are joined by black and Italian miners who initially resist the strike, and a fateful battle ensues when detectives hired by the coal company attempt to evict miners from company housing. Violence erupts in a sequence of astonishing, cathartic intensity, and Matewan achieves a rare degree of moral complexity combined with gut-wrenching tragedy. The film salutes a pacifist ideal while recognizing that personal and political convictions often must be defended with violence. To illustrate this point, Sayles enlisted master cinematographer Haskell Wexler, who creates the film's authentic visual texture--a triumph of artistry over limited resources. The result is a milestone of independent filmmaking, and Matewan remains one of Sayles's finest achievements. --Jeff Shannon

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INDY GENIUS

Without a doubt John Sayles is the most important indy film maker working today MATEWAN should be shown every year at every union hall in every city in the country. Today's memebers have no concept of what others went through so that they could sit around and say, "Well, what has the union done for me lately?" And then they should throw the creeps who have given in to NAFTA and automation etc without a whimper out on their butts because those people stopped looking out for the membership's interests a long time ago.

But aside from that, a great film about a very important time in American history. A must see.

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Bringing A Little-Known And Shocking Episode In US History To Modern Audiences

I grew up hearing about these events from my grandmother, whose father was in management at a barge company that sent loads of coal from Appalachia to the industrialized cities along the Ohio River, but it surprises me how few people my age know about the Matewan massacre and the events that led up to it.

In 1920 in a small town called Matewan, in Mongo County, in the heart of West Virginia's coal belt, local families attempted to organize a labor union in order to better their lives and free themselves from the oppressive stranglehold of the local coal companies, which owned "everything but the immortal souls" of those whose only choice in life was to work for these mafia-like corporations. The film Matewan is an impressive production that utilizes such actors as James Earl Jones and Chris Cooper to tell the story of the misery of the miners' lives, the corruption of the coal industry, the arrival of organized labor into this boiling maelstrom, and the violent events that ultimately culminated in a brutal firefight that left nine people dead.

Matewan is heavy on characterizations and back story which is a brave and wise step on behalf of director John Sayles, and far from being the centerpoint of the picture, the bloodshed of the massacre comes only at the movie's conclusion and is not sensationalized, which only makes it seem that much more horrific when it passes. To some who see it Matewan could register as a gloomy film but if that is tempered by a comparison of how things have since improved in coal country, then the deaths which drew attention to the region, could almost be regarded as having happened with some purpose.

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Strong story based on real life.

I first have to admit that I was around during the making of this movie. I was not on set just the local freight person who sent the dailies out for processing. I also know that a large part of this film was almost lost in shipping. Luckily we were able to find it and recover it.
I met several of the crew including Peggy Renzi and James Earl Jones. I got to speak to both and find out how great a movie it was before it was done. John Salyes is a great writer, director, and some say actor. I agree. This movie is a strong and powerful piece of the struggle to service in the universe. All I can say is watch it. You will be sucked it to the story because it is based on something that really happened. Once you finish I would suggest watching all John Salyes movies, they are all great.

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West Virginia's Roots In All Its Glory

This movie is a great one. Why? It brings West Virginia's history to life. West Virginia is an odd mix of people who come from very different backgrounds. You see how this was played out in the Mountain state's early days. You also see how these people were exploited by the larger corporate interests. This is part of the reason why the state is a union state. All in all, this movie does a good job of telling a true story in an enjoyable way.

Matewan

Good history movie of the early years of coal mining and the way the people were owned by the mining companies. Also the bloody way they fought the early union organizers, who were trying to get some respect and benefits for the workers and their families!

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