The actor (most notably seen in his choice of Spike Lee’s Malcolm Singularity) fiercely maintains a certain artistic independence… and the financial difficulties that often accompany it.
A rare and relatively unknown director in France, his last breakthrough came in 1996 with his excellent film Lone Star, in which a sheriff tries to solve a murder 37 years after the fact. This is already a good recommendation.
But first, we take a look at a very rare piece released in 1987 and thankfully available on Amazon through Warner Pass: Matewan. A colossal failure at the box office, presented in Directors’ Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival in 1987. Matevan It is worth more than watching, especially since the film has become invisible to us; Not even available on physical media… unless you import it.
A tragic page in American history
A sort of perfect extension of the great Martin Ritt-commissioned film The Betrayer (in which Sean Connery finds nothing more than one of his best roles…), Matevan It has in common an echo of the terrible living conditions of miners in the United States at the turn of the century.
authentic story Matevan The action takes place in May 1920 in Mingo County, West Virginia. Agency contingent Baldwin-Felts Detective Arrived on the morning train to chase away the miners’ families who lived in the suburbs Stone Mountain Coal Camp, mining site.
These evil henchmen, commissioned by a company that paid for the exploitation of miners, found Sid Hatfield, the town’s sheriff, along the way. Native to the region and sympathetic to the demands of the miners United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), located in a coal mine in southwestern West Virginia, Hattefield intervened in an escalation of violence that culminated in what became known as the “Battle of Matewan.”
An ominous prelude to what would later lead to a general uprising of the region’s miners in 1921; A year in which an army of 10,000 of them faced 3,000 lawyers, raiders and soldiers. Known as the “Battle of Blair Mountain,” it was the largest labor uprising in United States history and the largest armed uprising since the Civil War. This shows the social and political importance of the event.
It was with this film that Joe Kenhan, a unionist sent by the UMWA to unite the miners, made his debut in front of the camera, the ever-steady Chris Cooper. He is mainly supported by a sensational cast, in the midst of which we meet James Earl Jones, Mary McDonnell, Bob Gunton (remember, the sadistic Shawshank prison guard in The Runaways!) and the wonderful David Strathairn that was you. Especially seeing the multi-Oscar winner Nomadland. In MatevanHe plays Sheriff Hatfield.
Enhanced by a brilliant photograph signed by the great cinematographer Haskell Wechsler, a two-time Oscar winner, showing on his hunting board films such as One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Secret Conversations, In the Heat of the Night or Road to Fame; shot for less than $4 million in seven weeks, politically engaged, Matevan is a very powerful and moving film, both rare and precious. An essential testimony to the bloody history of American workers’ struggle for their rights.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
