watch it: “union meeting” clip from ‘Matewan’
For the Labor Day holiday viewing pleasure of my readers in the U.S., a scene from John Sayles’ 1987 flick Matewan:
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Matewan is out of print on DVD in Region 1, but used copies are available; likewise, it’s nuthin’ but used copies in Region 2, too.
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John Sayles
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(links here are good for finding recent posts, but will not be fully functional till I finish tagging 11 years worth of reviews and blog entries; I'll post a notice when tagging is done)
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comments
posted by John Mar (Mon Sep 07 09, 8:36PM)
Nice clip. Reminds me that the US used to be the fore-front of organised labour.
Is it a coincidence that Labour getting tarred as criminal and corrupt occurs as American manufacturing fails?
posted by Tonio Kruger (Mon Sep 07 09, 10:54PM)
What makes you think that started happening when American manufacturing fails?
On the Waterfront doesn't paint a rosy picture of American organized labor and that was made during the height of the American manufacturing era.
Nor is all union corruption in America a figment of Michael Medved's imagination--though it would be nice if it were.
And yet it's hard to read American history and not come to the conclusion that unions are a necessary evil whose necessity has not yet passed. As bad as union corruption has been in the US, management corruption has been worst. And unfortunately, it seems to be a lot harder to punish a corrupt management team than to punish a corrupt union.
posted by bronxbee (Tue Sep 08 09, 12:47PM)
this clip reminded me of why i consider Chris Cooper an acting god. i remember seeing this film and loving it (as i do all John Sayles movies) but chris cooper is the one who stood out for me, just as he has in every movie he's every been in, no matter what his character.
and yes, what has happened to the strength of the union members? where did their power go? sold away to overseas labor markets so we could keep going and buying crap at wal-mart on lesser wages. we're in the midst of another age of labor squashing tycoons -- only now they're giant conglomerate corporations.