Friday 9 November 2012

Film review: The Salt of the Earth


As a bit of a film fan I made sure I had a couple of DVDs with me for the long journey back up to Auld Reekie after our first session.  One of them was something I had been intending to watch for some time but for some reason had never got round to it- Herbert J. Biberman's Salt of the Earth.  The timing couldn't have been better; the number of themes contained in the film that we had talked about over the weekend was striking.

 

Made in 1954 it's a remarkable film for its time.  Based on a real life strike in a New Mexico zinc mine it was written, directed, and produced by blacklisted artists and stars a mixture of blacklisted and non-professional actors (many of whom were actual miners).  It is unapologetically radical in its promotion of workplace and community resistance in the face of unimaginable intimidation.

 

However, what really makes this film stand out is its treatment of race and gender issues.  The women here aren't passive observers but are instrumental in the success of the strike.  Furthermore, the film doesn't shirk away from exposing the systematic opression they face as women, in their own homes and communities as well as wider society.

 

Also, after one of our colleagues mentioned the need to understand and be sensitive the culture of migrant workers, I nearly fell out of my rather cramped train seat a few hours later when the main male character, Ramon, made exactly the same point to his union organiser.

 

It's not without its faults but the treatment of these issues was well ahead of its time.  Fortunately, the film is now in the public domain so you can watch it free of guilt on the internet at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXTcDUxu22A&feature=related.

 

Enjoy!

Kevin - MA ILTUS student 2012-14

No comments:

Post a Comment