This propaganda film - and that is what it is, and that is not meant as a slight, it is what it is - takes an amazingly even-handed approach to the events surrounding a long strike in New Mexico during the 1950s. The politics remain relevant today for union workers and so forth, but for the larger audience, it also is a superb study in real human dynamics. There are mildly annoying aspects put in for dramatic effect - the strikers' wives are portrayed as a bit too noble and confrontational at times, the company men a bit too evil, the miners themselves as a bit too helpless and uncaring - but this still is one of the best studies of real human reactions to a difficult situation.
It is inevitable that things break down into an us-versus-them battle, and that is the film's greatest weakness. Once the striking miners are prohibited by court order from picketing, the women all too willingly take their places. This causes all sorts of power shifts within families, portrayed well by the Quintero family played by Ramon Chacon and Rosaura Revueltas. So we get some healthy servings of "this is my life, see how you like it" from the women, causing the idle workers to re-examine their attitudes toward women and their jobs and their lives. Of course, there is the larger power imbalance between the striking workers and the mining company, summarized by Chacon's repeated observation that it is necessary to look at the "larger picture." The human dynamics spiral out of control to the point where it is unclear how Ramon Quintero really feels about developments, as he turns to drink and observes that the women "Won't listen to a man any more." But, of course, everything turns out fine in the end for the workers, as we all knew from the beginning it had to, after everyone has learned some hard lessons.
The feminist subplot, though, is interesting but essentially a sideshow, put aside immediately once the strike is won and the workers get what they really want. The meat of the story is the confrontation between the poor locals and the authorities. That the outcome remains in doubt until the end of the film is a testament to the skill and craft of the makers of this film, including numerous non-professional actors. There are clear implications of mass power, with the sheriff's men repeatedly stymied by the sheer numbers of the workers and their families. If you want to read "Communism" into that, well, that's a perfectly reasonable implication, though certainly not the only one.
The politics are clear, and there is no doubt about the motivations of those who made the film, but the message is kept as subtle as possible. There was no need to ban the film, that was sheer over-reaction. For what it is, you will probably not find a better examination of the human dynamics behind the struggle of workers for a better life.
It is inevitable that things break down into an us-versus-them battle, and that is the film's greatest weakness. Once the striking miners are prohibited by court order from picketing, the women all too willingly take their places. This causes all sorts of power shifts within families, portrayed well by the Quintero family played by Ramon Chacon and Rosaura Revueltas. So we get some healthy servings of "this is my life, see how you like it" from the women, causing the idle workers to re-examine their attitudes toward women and their jobs and their lives. Of course, there is the larger power imbalance between the striking workers and the mining company, summarized by Chacon's repeated observation that it is necessary to look at the "larger picture." The human dynamics spiral out of control to the point where it is unclear how Ramon Quintero really feels about developments, as he turns to drink and observes that the women "Won't listen to a man any more." But, of course, everything turns out fine in the end for the workers, as we all knew from the beginning it had to, after everyone has learned some hard lessons.
The feminist subplot, though, is interesting but essentially a sideshow, put aside immediately once the strike is won and the workers get what they really want. The meat of the story is the confrontation between the poor locals and the authorities. That the outcome remains in doubt until the end of the film is a testament to the skill and craft of the makers of this film, including numerous non-professional actors. There are clear implications of mass power, with the sheriff's men repeatedly stymied by the sheer numbers of the workers and their families. If you want to read "Communism" into that, well, that's a perfectly reasonable implication, though certainly not the only one.
The politics are clear, and there is no doubt about the motivations of those who made the film, but the message is kept as subtle as possible. There was no need to ban the film, that was sheer over-reaction. For what it is, you will probably not find a better examination of the human dynamics behind the struggle of workers for a better life.