Metro Council

Reds (1981)

194m; U.S.

Director: Warren Beatty

Cast: Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton, Edward Hermann, Jerzy Kosinski, Maureen Stapelton, Gene Hackman

Synopsis: Reds is the epic biography of early 20th century U.S. communist author and activist Jack Reed and his stormy off-again, on-again love affair with free-thinker Louise Bryant. The film covers some of Reed’s time in the United States (including relationships with the IWW and the Socialist Party) and their time together in Russia during the Bolshevik revolution which led Reed to write the book Ten Days that Shook the World. The film also covers attempts to build a communist party in the U.S., the post-World War I “Red Scare” and the early years of the U.S.S.R. Maureen Stapelton won an Oscar for her portrayal of Emma Goldman and Beatty won for Best Director. Interspersed throughout the film are interviews with many of the people who knew Reed and Bryant. Long but highly recommended.

Click here to read Jon Garlock’s introduction to Reds at the Rochester (NY) Labor Film Series.

Trailer

The Russian Revolution Montage

John Reed’s Speech on Freedom and Revolution

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Posted by Metro Council on January 9, 2012 in A: Highly Recommended Labor Films, Arts/Culture, Biography, Class, Communism/Socialism, Drama, Labor History, Organizing, Politics, Strikes-Strikebreaking-Lockouts, War, Women, Working Class

Silkwood (1983)

08 Jan

131m; U.S.

Director: Mike Nichols

Cast: Meryl Streep, Kurt Russell and Cher

Synopsis: Biographical film about Karen Silkwood, a chemical technician at a Kerr-McGee nuclear power plant in Oklahoma. Silkwood became increasingly concerned about all manner of safety and health violations at the plant and worked with her union, the Oil, Chemical & Atomic Workers to try to address them. This led to escalating pressure from the company and eventually Silkwood’s death in a suspicious car accident.

Trailer

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Posted by Metro Council on January 8, 2012 in A: Highly Recommended Labor Films, Drama, Labor History, Safety & Health, Whistleblowers, Women

Tags: Power Generation Industries

The Soul’s Haven (Il posto dell’anima) [2003]

08 Jan

106m; Italy

Director: Riccardo Milani

Cast: Silvio Orlando, Michele Placido and Claudio Santamaria

Synopsis (IMDB): Three workers of a tire factory, in southern Italy, lead the struggle against the American company owner of the factory who wants to close the Italian branch in which they work.

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Posted by Metro Council on January 8, 2012 in A: Highly Recommended Labor Films, Comedy, Drama, Organizing, Outsourcing, Working Class

Strike (Stachka) [1925]

08 Jan

82m; U.S.S.R.

Director: Sergei M. Eisenstein

Cast: Grigori Aleksandrov, Maksim Shtraukh and Mikhail Gomorov

Synopsis: In Russia’s factory region during Czarist rule, there’s restlessness and strike planning among workers; management brings in spies and external agents. When a worker hangs himself after being falsely accused of thievery, the workers strike. At first, there’s excitement in workers’ households and in public places as they develop their demands communally. Then, as the strike drags on and management rejects demands, hunger mounts, as does domestic and civic distress. Provocateurs recruited from the lumpen and in league with the police and the fire department bring problems to the workers; the spies do their dirty work; and, the military arrives to liquidate strikers.

Trailer