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Actors: Chris Cooper, James Earl Jones, Mary McDonnell, Will Oldham, David Strathairn, Ken Jenkins, Gordon Clapp, Kevin Tighe
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about Matewan |
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Set at the height of labor disputes in the Appalachian Mountains, tensions in a small company mining are seemingly as taut as they can possibly be when labor organizer Joe Kenehan (Cooper) comes to town. The fragile peace is set to shatter, even more so when African-American and Italian scabs are sent in to replace striking workers. Sayles has cameo as a hardshell Baptist preacher.
--ldpaulson, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of Matewan |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about
books by breaking them down into many different literary
elements, all of which are searchable (click here). |
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of movie:
- 1900-1920's
Polit/Social/Race/Gender activism
Yes
Plotlet:
- union leaders fighting for labor rights
Job/Profession/Poverty Story?
Yes
Job:
- blue collar common worker
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- champion of justice
Age:
- 20's-30's
Events of movie makes character more...
- aggressive
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- an organization
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 90%-100%
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Southeast
Small town?
Yes
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
Any profanity?
- Occasional swearing
If soundtrack VERY NOTICEABLE...
- Folk music
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Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 ldpaulson
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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