And so much so that when she misfires, as with her 1998 film on woody allen, wild man blues, a critic may still give her the benefit of the doubt. Harlan county, kentucky map of harlan county, ky where. Barbara kopple was born on july 30, 1946 in new york city, new york, usa. Documentary film directed by barbara kopple depicting the eastoverbrookside coal miners strike, which won the academy award for best documentary feature. Harlan county, usa, an oscarwinning documentary directed and produced by prominent filmmaker barbara kopple in 1976, is an incredibly moving film that tells the story using an intersection of the participatory and observational documentary modes of coal miners in kentucky who, together with their families, endured a long, violent strike in defense of their rights. Jul 24, 20 harlan county usa deals with coal miners strikes in kentucky, and a lot is at stake. Harlan county article about harlan county by the free. Harlan county is a county equivalent area found in kentucky, usa. Barbara kopples oscarwinning documentary classic is an electrifying look at a tense, yearlong. Harlan county, nebraska po box 698 alma, ne 68920 phone. Director barbara kopples film about the 1973 coal miners strike in harlan county, ky.
It amazes me how courageous koppel and her associates had to be to get this documentary made, and i knew that for that reason alone i had to write about it. Although these miners today have no union, the mines of harlan county have a storied history of grassroots labor militancy. Chevrolet, ky, coal camp in bloody harlan, almost abandoned now once home to apprx. Harlan county, usa is a 1976 oscarwinning documentary film covering the brookside strike,an effort of 180 coal miners and their wives against the duke power companyowned eastover coal companys brookside mine and prep plant in harlan county, southeast kentucky in 1973. All tracks are written by jim ford, except where indicated. Harlan county is a 1969 studio album by american singersongwriter jim ford. Summary of facts the movies main focus is the reallife documentation of a strike stages by miners in the brookside mine versus duke power business, a big energy company in the united states, for its supposed unfair labor practices, unsafe working conditions, and low. Barbara kopples academy awardwinning harlan county usa unflinchingly documents a.
Orlando crazy things i choose to purchase game night nation halloween hang. Harlan county, usa is an oscarwinning documentary about a month strike between coal miners and the brookside mine of the eastover mining company in eastern kentucky in 1973 and 1974. A filmed account of a bitterly violent miner strike. In one climatic scene, the filmmakers are pushed around and threatened just as much as the strikers are. However, when at her best, such as with the classic academy award winning documentary from 1976, harlan county, usa, she is almost. It well deserves its academy award, and 1990 inclusion in the national film registry of the library of congress. May 14, 2017 librivox free audiobook chapel 1995 1996 insomnia radio. Few documentaries today have the immediacy, intensity, or militant appeal of this oscarwinning film, an edgeofyourseat tribute to a courageous group of hard hats and their families.
Featuring a haunting soundtrackwith legendary country and bluegrass artists. They say in harlan county by portelli, alessandro ebook. Story of the early 1970s brookside coal miners strike in harlan county ky and their fight for better working conditions against threats, vi. The coal miners of harlan county kentucky want to unionise and their. Barbara kopples documentary camera looks at this forgotten corner of 1970s america, the site of some of. Nov 25, 2006 this is the harlan county usa movie trailer. The miners have decided to join the united miners of america umwa trade union, and then they insisted that the company which. Harlan county, usa is a 1976 documentary film covering the brookside strike, an effort of 180 coal miners and their wives against the duke power companyowned eastover coal companys brookside mine and prep plant in harlan county, southeast kentucky in 1973. One of the finest documentaries ever made, barbara kopples harlan county u.
Home to 28,163 people, harlan county has a total 389 households earning 25906 on average per. Barbara kopples academy awardwinning harlan county usa unflinchingly documents a grueling coal miners strike in a small kentucky town. The county government of harlan is found in the county seat of harlan. Barbara kopples harlan county, usa was one of the most important and powerful political documentaries of the 1970s, a startling and compelling look at a bitter coal miners strike in kentucky in the early 70s, and this dvd release of the film from the criterion collection treats kopples. Harlan county usa deals with coal miners strikes in kentucky, and a lot is at stake. The film retains all of its power, in the story of a miners strike in kentucky where the company employed armed goons to escort scabs into the mines, and the most effective picketers were the miners wives articulate, indominable, courageous. It won the oscar for best documentary at the 49th academy awards. Youd think things would have been largely improved since then, but thats not really the case. Thats one of the harsh realities of harlan county usa. Harlan county usa 1976 watch free documentary docur. Barbara kopples oscarwinning documentary classic is an electrifying look at a tense, yearlong standoff between striking kentucky coal miners and the unionbusting corporation determined to squash them.
While she was there, however, things quickly changed when the miners walked off the job to demand safer working conditions. With apologies to sergei eisenstein, barbara kopples documentary may be the definitive cinematic depiction of a labor strikea firsthand account of what happened when miners in harlan county, kentucky, walked out in protest of the duke power company and its. The pink wad is brain tissue from a striker shot in the head by a strikebreaker. May 22, 2006 t he current popularity and cultural importance of documentaries would have been inconceivable in 1976, when harlan county usa briefly ignited commercial movie screens. Harlan county, usa is reallife drama of the highest order. Although realistic dramas still attracted mass audiencesas evidenced by dog.
Dramatic film based on the eastoverbrookside strike. The film follows what was known as the brookside strike, when around 180 coal miners in 1973 fought for better working conditions against eastover coal company. In this documentary about labor tension in the coalmining industry, director barbara kopple films a strike in rural kentucky. May 04, 2018 a longtime advocate of workers rights, kopple originally set out to film in harlan county, kentucky, to look at the local union organizations. A man crouches and pokes at what first appears to be a wad of chewedup pink bubble gum on the ground.
This is a documentary talking about the mine strikes of harlan county, kentucky in 1973 where the laborers and miners of harlan took on the mine owner. She is a director and producer, known for harlan county u. It contains a famous scene where guns are fired at the strikers in the darkness before dawn, and kopple and her. Harlan county, usa movie trailer and videos tv guide. Harlan county usa is a marvellous example of the political documentary at its best, combining politics and humanism with the immediacy of direct cinema and the drama of the finest of fictional features. It brings history to life in a visceral way that ive never experienced from a documentary. The screening will be followed by a musical performance by david. Harlan county, usa 1976 posted on may 5, 2012 by mike c. Barbara kopple is one of those filmmakers who can do just about any film well. A longtime advocate of workers rights, kopple originally set out to film in harlan county, kentucky, to look at the local union organizations. The film follows what was known as the brookside strike, when around 180 coal miners in 1973 fought for better working conditions against eastover coal company, owned by duke power company.
Story of the early 1970s brookside coal miners strike in harlan county ky and their fight for. Harlan county, usa by barbara kopple barbara kopple. I havent seen it since a college labor relations class. Made famous in the 1976 documentary harlan county usa, this pocket of appalachian coal country has been home to generations of minersand to some of the most bitter labor battles of the 20th century. As the closing credits rolled, i was left asking myself where this documentary got its emotional power. Recognizing that theres little room for fence sitting, kopple makes no bones about her allegiances, constructing her movie as a featurelength show of solidarity with the miners. Barbara kopples harlan county, usa was one of the most important and powerful political documentaries of the 1970s, a startling and compelling look at a bitter coal miners strike in kentucky in the early 70s, and this dvd release of the. In the middle of this charged moment, kopple shifted her focus to follow the striking workers and their families to picket lines. Analysis of the documentary harlan county, usa type.
Harlan county usa documentary noteseastover mining companycoal mining company where this strike occursnorman yarboroughpresident of eastover mining companybrookside minespecific mine where strike occurred, in harlan county strike in early 1970sduke refused to sign a contract because they did not like the termsduke came into the situation late, they gained. Harlan county, usa is a documentary film that was produced and directed by barbara kopple, a long time advocate of worker and civil rights. Jun 21, 2012 director barbara kopples film about the 1973 coal miners strike in harlan county, ky. Miners in harlan county, kentucky, have drawn national attention with their direct actionoccupying a railroad track to halt a coal train until the miners get paid the wages they are owed for digging it up. The making of harlan county, usa, a new documentary featuring interviews with kopple. This remains one of my favorite documentaries of all time. This oscarwinning documentary by barbara kopple chronicles the 1973 strike by brookside mine workers in harlan county, kentucky, using actual footage of the events. Harlan county, usa is not only a great documentary, but a great film.
Harlan county usa, an oscaraward winning 1976 sociopolitical documentary. Featuring a haunting soundtrackwith legendary country and bluegrass artists hazel dickens, merle. Harlan county, usa is a 1976 oscarwinning documentary film covering the brookside strike,an effort of 180 coal miners and their wives. The economics of happiness 2011 is free to watch in april. May 05, 2012 john sayles on harlan county the most striking thing about the case of harlan county is how similar the films structure is to that of the various other filmsnarratives about unionizing efforts in other coal mining areas that date back to the late 19th century. Running from crazy, and a cache of expertise developed since her first feature documentary, harlan county usa, won an. Harlan county usa documentary noteseastover mining companycoal mining company where this strike occursnorman yarboroughpresident of eastover mining companybrookside minespecific mine where strike occurred, in harlan county strike in early 1970sduke refused to sign a contract because they did not like the termsduke came into the situation late, they gained control of the company. The current popularity and cultural importance of documentaries would have been inconceivable in 1976, when harlan county usa briefly ignited commercial movie screens. Harlan county was one where company thugs, workers, and police all played an all too cliche role. Barbara kopples documentary camera looks at this forgotten corner of 1970s america, the site of some of the bitterest labor violence in american history. The film captures the dire poverty of the miners and their families, and their bitter and violent struggles against both eastover and unionbusting scabs and. The cast iron filter song harlan county, usa from the 2000 album further down the line recounts a dramatization of the eastoverbrookside coal miners strike. In the middle of this charged moment, kopple shifted her focus to follow the striking workers and.
Parents need to know that harlan county, usa is a riveting and intense 1976 documentary chronicling a month miners strike in eastern kentucky that shows violent altercations between strikers and unionbusters, as well as the funeral of a murdered striker where family members are expressing deep shock and sorrow. Film screening and discussion of harlan county, usa with. It contains a famous scene where guns are fired at the strikers in the darkness before dawn, and kopple and her cameraman are knocked down and beaten. Harlan county, usa feminist films in the swarthmorebryn. Documentary film directed by barbara kopple depicting the eastoverbrookside coal miners strike, which won the academy award for best documentary. Orlando crazy things i choose to purchase game night nation halloween hang podcast lets stand group. The stars of the film are the men and women of harlan county.
690 752 391 479 1380 918 1393 484 1499 1319 1327 550 1123 1028 1353 60 1343 1421 1147 1044 478 421 1068 1066 1055 1353 340 1149 430 1417