Review of Harlan County U.S.A.

So I watched the 1977 academy award winner for best documentary, "Harlan County U.S.A" directed by Barbara Kopple. So was it good, yeah it was pretty good. It was not one of my favorite documentaries, but it was enjoyable, informative, and had some real life drama. So basically this movie is about the plight of the Kentucky coal miner, but on a deeper level, it is also about the division between labor and the supplier's of capital in this country. This movie gives us a glimpse into not just the lives of these people, but their struggles over the years going back to the early days of unions in this country. We see how these men toil day in and day out in these mines, only to more than likely die from any number of things but namely "black lung". We see how the rich owners of this mine just don't seem to care about the health and safety of their workers, or about giving them a fair share of the pie. We get a glimpse at corruption at the corporate level as well as in government. Towards the end of the movie something substantial happens which finally brings this nearly year long strike to an end. I won't spoil it, but if Hollywood wrote I would say what B.S, but it happened and because of it the union boys got what they wanted. We also see that even though the strike at the heart of this film is over, the struggle for fair wages, good working conditions, and union rights is never over it seems. My only gripe was with the depressing as all hell hillbilly music, most of which made me feel suicidal. But some may really like that music. I know there is a version of "oh death" in this film, and normally I love it (at least the version by Ralph Stanley), but hated how the singers reminded me how depressing a tune it is in reality. Otherwise this is a great film, but I personally have seen better but not necessarily more powerful documentaries. if you like concise reviews of interesting films please read my other reviews at http://raouldukeatthemovies.blogspot.com/