Matewan
John Sayles’ Matewan is a brilliant drama set detailing the conflict between coal miners and anti-union forces in 1920. Though the movie is fictional, it is based squarely on the bitter and often bloody dispute that entrenched coal miners and operators against each other for more than 20 years. One of the major problems was that coal was becoming less and less profitable to mine, and it was the workers that were absorbing the market shortfalls. Worker abuse was unhindered by much government interference, and any inspectors that were sent to the mines were often paid off by the coal operators to ignore gross safety hazards. Something had to change, and this is where Sayles’ story of conflict begins. Contrasting dark and light, violence versus peaceful disobedience, evil against good, Sayles created war in Matewan. Through sound, cinematography, and mise en scene the film develops the embattled characters and the surrounding revolution. The exposition really establishes the mood of the film. It begins by following a coughing coal miner, covered in black soot, as he crawls around in damp dark mountain shafts. The miner is setting explosives and using verbal warnings to spread the word that dynami . . .
” The threatening aspects of his voice and garb were addressed earlier in the paper. but I ain’t never been called no scab!” The conflict between different races and nationalities must be over come before the union can ever face a more hardened and prepared enemy. Danny Radnor, played by Will Oldham, passes the word that they have lowered the value of coal to 90 cents a ton. Hickey and Griggs turn it into an upsetting and uncomfortable toil with their cruel and threatening comments. The introduction of good and evil into a town is common in many films, especially Westerns. Lively a disciple, but if you consider Joe Kenehan the head of the union and C. They are able to successfully fight them off and reboard the train. The darkness is similar to the inside of the mines. The cause would be lost if the black miners started shooting along side the white miners. This is significant because Kenehan was frequently excluded for “miners only” meetings, many of which ended up working against their cause. The men will press on till the end, trusting in God and the fearless leaders that rally the cause. A woman simply breaks out into song asking the lord to “deliver us from the gathering storm. While Joe Kenehan was undeniable a feature character, subjects like Few Clothes Johnson, C. Those associated with “the company” are constantly shrouded in darkness. Danny asks imploringly, “Sephus, what we gonna do?” Rarely will we see the inside of a mine again until the conclusion of the film.
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