The Documentary And You

The documentary is coming along well. Catina agreed to watch a few documentaries with me and we will be planning that soon I hope!

So until that happens I have taken it upon myself to watch one that I've been waiting on seeing since its release from The Criterion Collection.

Harlan County U.S.A.

This is the documentary of the 1973 strike against the Brookside Mine in Harlan County Kentucky. This is a very powerful and moving documentary.
It starts by showing some of the history of the region and how impoverished these people are. You see how hard the lives of these people are. The absolute poverty is astounding.

I really have mixed emotions watching this. First I am a union member and from my experience it encourages a lot of laziness. I have been a union member for over fifteen years and believe me if I had to work for a living again it would be difficult.

We have a genuine Johnny Friendly in charge of our union who weaseled his way into a position in which he can't be voted out anymore. I feel he is corrupt, inept and now he is untouchable by the rank and file. In today's day and age unions aren't as necessary. It is a fact.

Now let me tell you that I believe that the unions had a place in America. Because of what the unions did at one time made a lot of changes in the work place. A lot of laws have been made and changed so that when you go to work you are safer and a lot of that is because of a stand made by a union at one time or another.

Coal mining is a dangerous occupation. In 1973 it was even more dangerous than it is now but there are still tragedies that happen in this country. Look no further than Sago.

So here we are at this documentary that is just over thirty years old now. Who was right in this dispute? We really are never told. We don't know the facts, we aren't privy to the contract that was offered, the previous contract, or any of those kind of facts. It really isn't the point though.

What we see is decidedly from the point of view from the people who suffer. From the coal miners who went on strike and the people who went through the strike in the community that lasted just over a year.

In this case I believe the union did a good thing, this is what unions were supposed to be good for and what they should continue to do. There are rallies to support the striking miners. There is a lot of footage from the picket lines as the striking miners are trying to keep the strike breakers out. The state troopers are brought in to keep the roads open and you bear witness to the violence that starts to happen.

You see the way that the striking miners start to splinter in their resolve and you see the inevitable result as things get out of hand. You see how strong the striking miner's wives band together to support their men and stand on the picket line with them. There are parts of this movie that break my heart.

This is also a polarizing documentary. The striking miners are portrayed as saints and of course the company is portrayed as evil. Where is the actual line? It depends on if you are pro or anti union.