Watching "Matewan" again, and noticed something new.

[Brigid]

It's that kind of movie -- you notice something new with each viewing. I noticed that many of the company thugs, Baldwin-Felts "detectives," are apparently WWI combat vets. Much like many of today's cops, huh?

[A HERETIC I AM]

1. One of the best films about the struggle of labor ever made.

I loved that movie.

Baldwin-Felts = Pinkertons.

Same dog, different fleas.

[struggle4progress]

4. Baldwin-Felts and Pinkerton were different agencies. Baldwin-Felts also showed up in Ludlow

for the infamous strike there

[A HERETIC I AM]

5. LOL...I understand they were different agencies!

My equals sign "=" did not mean they were the same company, just as I said, same dog, different fleas.

They were strike breaking thugs for hire.

[struggle4progress]

9. OK. In Pennsylvania, the Coal and Iron Police fall into that category too

[Brigid]

10. Ludlow, CO, right?

Just looked it up on wikipedia.

[struggle4progress]

12. Yup

[Brigid]

6. My fascination with this story started with the History Channel, of all things.

They had a presentation a few years ago about Appalachia, featuring a riveting account of the Battle of Blair Mountain. I was just shocked; I had never heard of it before. Unfortunately, this movie, powerful as it is, doesn't tell but about half the story. At the end of the movie, we are told that Sid Hatfield was later killed by company-hired thugs. But there's more: A new leader, a coal loader named Bill.Blizzard, arose. Miners from all over southern West Virginia came together outside Charleston to march into Logan County toward non-union Mingo County to help with the effort to organize. They tied red bandanas around their necks to identify themselves, and became known as the "redneck army." They engaged with company forces at Blair Mountain. I really need to do more research and write a novel about it.

[WillyT]

2. ... --- ...

[Uncle Joe]

7. That scene never gets old, WillyT.

[Brigid]

8. My favorite moment is when the men from the hills came to the aid of those in the camp.

One of them was carrying a very old weapon, and one of the thugs laughs and says, "Where did you get that? The Spanish War?" "Nope," the man from the hills deadpans. "The War Between the States."

[whathehell]

16. Great scene, great film. n/t

[navarth]

3. Great movie. Important movie.

Chris Cooper and David Strathairn were fantastic in it.

[Brigid]

11. It deserves better treatment.

The video transfer on the DVD is terrible, and there are no extras whatsoever. But still, not to be missed.

[Ilsa]

13. I wish it was required viewing in history classes

in high school and college. It presents a unique time in history that I think is hard to romanticize.

Fantastic movie. I stumbled across it on tv and stayed on that channel because I saw James Earl Jones. And then Chris Cooper, etc. I figured JEJ wasn't going to waste time making garbage.

[RainDog]

14. Love that movie

got to see it on the big screen not too long ago, with a Q&A by Sayles afterward.

The kid preacher, btw, is now a folk singer called Bonnie Prince Billy.

[Brigid]

15. You got to be in a screening with Sayles?

Wow.

[RainDog]

18. Yeah. It was a great moment

Cause I have long been a Sayles fan - have Eight Men Out, Matewan, etc. on VHS tape... still. Brother From Another Planet, Lone Star, Baby It's You...

and The Secret of Roan Inish - one of my all-time favorites. So, yeah, Sayles made two of my favorite movies of all time - Matewan and Roan Inish, and I got to hear him talk about making Matewan.

It was a local event and anyone could attend.

[whathehell]

17. My understanding is that a lot of WWI vets were promised a bonus, didn't get it & were pissed off.