150 Word Reviews: 'Matewan' (1987)

I owe my soul to the company store

Photo: Cinecom Pictures

There are stories American history doesn't like to tell. For instance, over a hundred years ago, guns frequently settled strikes. Labor would demand fair pay and treatment, and management would answer with bullets.

In director John Sayles' absorbing 1987 historical drama, Matewan, a union organizer struggles to unite the workers of a West Virginia mining town. In those days, the company owned everything, including the men who risked their lives deep in dark caves. This is gritty, idealistic filmmaking.

A young Chris Cooper is the heroic agitator who convinces the poor locals to ally themselves with Italian immigrants and Black workers, all of whom are exploited by the company. The movie is gorgeous, green, and filthy, and the cast is stacked with "I know that guy!" actors. Mary McDonnell is strong-willed, and James Earl Jones is living thunder as a man who values two things: his hands and his dignity.

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