Analysis of the documentary harlan county, usa type. This is a documentary talking about the mine strikes of harlan county, kentucky in 1973 where the laborers and miners of harlan took on the mine owner. A lot more than a harrowing account of a bitter miners strike, although it is certainly that. Harlan county, usa is not only a great documentary, but a great film. Eastovers refusal to sign a contract when the miners joined with the united mine workers of america led to the strike, which lasted more than a year and included violent battles between guntoting. Barbara kopples academy awardwinning harlan county usa unflinchingly documents a grueling coal miners strike in a small kentucky town. Composed of songs featured in barbara kopples academy awardrwinning film harlan county usa harlan county usa. With unprecedented access, kopple and her crew captured the miners sometimes violent struggles with strikebreakers, local police, and company thugs. A criterion collection we saw it as as much a political act as a film act, and i was just grateful that the thing i could do for a living was going to. Analysis of the documentary harlan county, usa, sample of.
There was bloody harlan in the 30s, bloody harlan here, in the 70s, and as last years best doc oscar winner, american factory reveals, there are still corporations willing to go to great lengths to prevent their workers from joining unions. The film was made over the duration of the resulting strike and. Meet the cast and learn more about the stars of harlan county, usa with exclusive news, pictures, videos and more at. Eastovers refusal to sign a contract when the miners joined with the united mine workers of america led to the strike, which lasted more. May 02, 2015 harlan county, usa 1976 part2 greek subs. Late last year, i was invited to lincoln center in new york city to attend the premiere of a restored edition of the 1976 film harlan county, usa. Featuring a haunting soundtrack, with legendary country and bluegrass artists hazel dickens, merle travis, sarah gunning, and florence reece, the film is a. Read the harlan county, usa movie synopsis, view the movie trailer, get cast and crew information, see movie photos, and more on.
Featuring a haunting soundtrack, with legendary country and bluegrass. The front lines at home and abroad program notes, 2011 reprinted by permission of the author and the academy of motion picture arts and sciences im a politician first, a filmmaker second, said barbara kopple during the release of her first documentary feature film, harlan. The film retains all of its power, in the story of a miners strike in kentucky where the company employed armed goons to escort scabs into the mines, and the most effective picketers were the miners wives articulate, indominable, courageous. While art is clearly not truth, documentaries are the rare art form where truth is essential, because it is not merely cinema but a journalistic art. The recent surge in coalmining disasters has followed the creeping relaxation of safety standards, making this round of caveins part of a centuriesold tugofwar between workers, management, and government. Nov 25, 2006 this is the harlan county usa movie trailer. Featuring a haunting soundtrackwith legendary country and bluegrass artists hazel dickens, merle travis, sarah gunning, and florence reecethe film is a. Barbara koppels 1976 documentary harlan county, usa depicts the efforts of coal miners employed by the duke power company in brookside, kentucky in harlan county to win recognition for their union, the united mine workers of america umwa, after the companys refusal to accept the miners petition for union membership.
The original film print had begun to deteriorate, and an organization called the womens film preservation fund had taken on the job of. Songs of the coal miners struggle is a chilling musical reflection of the coal mining experience. Harlan county, usa is a documentary film that was produced and directed by barbara kopple, a long time advocate of worker and civil rights. Lien externe en site officiel harlan county, usa is a 1976 documentary film covering the brookside strike, an effort of 180 coal miners and their wives against the duke power companyowned eastover coal companys brookside mine and prep plant in harlan county, southeast kentucky in 1973. I dont generally seek out documentaries for whatever reason, so when i came across this in film class i was surprised by how different documentaries are from feature films. Barbara kopples academy awardwinning harlan county usa unflinchingly documents a grueling coal miners. The film retains all of its power, in the story of a miners strike in kentucky where the company employed armed goons to escort scabs into the mines, and the most effective picketers were the miners wives articulate, indominable.
Harlan county, usa is a 1976 oscarwinning documentary film covering the brookside strike,an effort of 180 coal miners and their wives against the duke power companyowned eastover coal companys brookside mine and prep plant in harlan county, southeast kentucky in 1973. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. In one climatic scene, the filmmakers are pushed around and. It well deserves its academy award, and 1990 inclusion in the national film registry of the library of congress. Harlan county, usa by barbara kopple barbara kopple. The oscarwinning harlan county, usa is a landmark in the history of american documentary filmmaking. Skip to main content this banner text can have markup. Summary of facts the film s central focus is the reallife documentation of a strike stages by miners in the brookside mine against duke power. Harlan county, usa is a 1976 oscarwinning documentary film covering the brookside strike,an effort of 180 coal miners and their wives against the duke.
Harlan county, usa, an oscarwinning documentary directed and produced by prominent filmmaker barbara kopple in 1976, is an incredibly moving film that tells the story using an intersection of the participatory and observational documentary modes of coal miners in kentucky who, together with their families, endured a long, violent strike in defense of their rights. Barbara kopples incredible film traces the effects of a strike on 180 coalmining families. With unprecedented access, kopple and her crew captured the miners sometimes violent struggles with. Nowhere has the plight of the american mineworker been so powerfully chronicled as in harlan county, u. May 10, 2006 with houston elmore, jerry johnson, kevin keating, barbara kopple. Hosted by a passionate roger ebert and featuring kopple and cameraman hart perry, the floor is also given over briefly to two striking utah miners one talks in spanish, which is subtitled. Barbara kopples harlan county, usa was one of the most important and powerful political documentaries of the 1970s, a startling and compelling look at a bitter coal miners strike in kentucky in the early 70s, and this dvd release of the film from the criterion collection treats kopples. This film chronicles the bitter and violent struggle waged by coal miners during a strike in 1973 in eastern kentucky against the eastover mining company. This is a documentary talking about the mine strikes of harlan county, kentucky in 1973 where the laborers. Well, ted is a newspaper reporter from central kentucky, and he grew up in harlan county, the very place in which justified takes place. History will repeat itself unless a representation of documented happenings.
May 04, 2018 a longtime advocate of workers rights, kopple originally set out to film in harlan county, kentucky, to look at the local union organizations. It contains a famous scene where guns are fired at the strikers in the darkness before dawn, and kopple and her cameraman are knocked down and beaten. Harlan county usa is a film that is great at bringing you inside a community you probably havent thought much about before. A significant film of the direct cinema movement, forgoing the popular tendency towards voice over and reconstructions, harlan county usa is a groundbreaking of observational filmmaking. Film screening and discussion of harlan county, usa with. Jul 24, 20 no matter how biased the film may be, its clear that the miners have a hard life and something should be done about it.
Labor activism directed by barbara kopple 1976 barbara kopples oscarwinning documentary classic is an electrifying look at a tense, yearlong standoff between striking kentucky coal miners and the unionbusting corporation determined to. The stars of the film are the men and women of harlan county, portrayed here not as patronized mountain folks but as human beings. Through the use of moving personal stories, harlan county, usa provides an exquisite representation of the emotion and pride in this microcosm mining community. Harlan county, usa is an oscarwinning documentary about a month strike between coal miners and the brookside mine of the eastover mining company in eastern kentucky in 1973 and 1974.
The film captures the dire poverty of the miners and their families, and their bitter and violent struggles against both eastover and unionbusting scabs and thugs. Dramatic film based on the eastoverbrookside strike. The miners have decided to join the united miners of america umwa trade union, and then they insisted that the company which. Harlan county, usa is a 1976 documentary film covering the brookside strike, an effort of 180 coal miners and their wives against the duke power. One of the finest documentaries ever made, barbara kopples harlan county u. Which side are you on the harlan county coal miners. Barbara kopple s academy awardwinning harlan county usa unflinchingly documents a grueling coal miners strike in a small kentucky town. Best actress miniseries or television film hunter, nominated satellite awards.
Harlan county, usa, a documentary about the brookside strike in 1972. While art is clearly not truth, documentaries are the rare art form where truth is essential, because it is not merely cinema but a. While she was there, however, things quickly changed when the miners walked off the job to demand safer working conditions. This edition of harlan county, usa has been transferred to disc in letterboxed format at the widescreen aspect ratio of 1. May 05, 2012 john sayles on harlan county the most striking thing about the case of harlan county is how similar the films structure is to that of the various other filmsnarratives about unionizing efforts in other coal mining areas that date back to the late 19th century. Its cameras are always with the pickets, facing the straw bosses and the scabs. Harlan county, usa is reallife drama of the highest order. We were talking about covering some new shows, and justified was mentioned as a front runner. Summary of facts the movies main focus is the reallife documentation of a strike stages by miners in the brookside mine versus duke power business, a big energy company in the united states, for its supposed unfair labor practices, unsafe working conditions, and low. The coal miners of harlan county kentucky want to unionise and their. Analysis of the documentary harlan county, usa free essay example. This film offers an unflinching insight into a gruelling coal miners strike in a small kentucky town during 1976. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. It won the oscar for best documentary at the 49th academy awards.
Featuring a haunting soundtrackwith legendary country and bluegrass artists hazel dickens, merle. I bring up that film because in many ways, harlan county u. Few documentaries today have the immediacy, intensity, or militant appeal of this oscarwinning film, an edgeofyourseat tribute to a courageous group of hard hats and their families. The film follows what was known as the brookside strike, when around 180 coal miners in 1973 fought for better working conditions against eastover coal company, owned by duke power company. Harlan county goes to hollywoodagain appalachian voices. The macho kings rating of the film harlan county usa the macho king a eye opening doc,whats captured in this film sould be seen by any person remotely interested in documentaries or any 1 who doesnt know what real labor and hardship is.
Eastovers refusal to sign a contract when the miners joined with the united mine workers of america led to the strike, which lasted more than a year and included violent battles between guntoting company thugsscabs and the picketing miners and. Harlan county, usa feminist films in the swarthmorebryn. Harlan county, usa by randy haberkamp oscars docs, 196485. Best actress miniseries or television film hunter, nominated see also. Barbara kopple united states, 1976 barbara kopples academy awardwinning harlan county usa unflinchingly documents a grueling coal miners strike in a small kentucky town. This film documents the coal miners strike against the brookside mine of the eastover mining company in harlan county, kentucky in june, 1973. Matewan, a drama about the matewan strike in west virginia, in 1920. Harlan county usa deals with coal miners strikes in kentucky, and a lot is at stake. Eastovers refusal to sign a contract when the miners joined with the united mine workers of america led to the strike, which lasted more than a year and included violent battles between guntoting company thugsscabs and the picketing miners and their supportive womenfolk. Documentary film directed by barbara kopple depicting the eastoverbrookside coal miners strike, which won the academy award for best documentary feature. The film captures the dire poverty of the miners and their families, and their bitter and violent struggles against both eastover and unionbusting scabs and.
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