Today I watched the most amazing movie. Salt of the Earth. From 1954. I'd never heard of it before. As I watched it I was very perplexed. As in this was good stuff. I figured it was from the 60s. Or 70s. Being from 1954 really surprised me.This movie had a powerful women's liberation theme that I would have thought not possible in 1954. And it had an incredibly strong anti-establishment theme that I also would have not thought possible in 1954.
After all, 1954 was the era of Red Scares and Commie Baiting and McCarthyism.
Well, it turns out Salt of the Earth is known as the only U.S. blacklisted film. Its writer, director and producer had all been blacklisted by Hollywood during that particularly shameful time in our nation's history.
According to Wikipedia, "The movie became a historical phenomenon and has a cult following due to how the United States establishment (politicians, journalists, studio executives, and other trade unions) dealt with the film."
Ironically, when viewed in 2009, Salt of the Earth seems almost Frank Capraesque in its uplifting Power to the People and Protest is the American Way of Righting Wrongs and Toppling Tyranny message.
Naturally, while I was watching this movie, my thoughts turned to Texas, and the current corruption, oppression and heavy-handed abuse by out of control gas drilling miscreants and their political lackeys, who act as their lapdogs, doing their bidding as the Citizens of the Shale have their property stolen, their air dirtied, their lives made miserable and their basic right to being secure and safe in their own homes eroded by the government that is supposed to protect them.
I'm thinking I'm going to be thinking of a Salt of the Earth type action if it ever comes time to totally stop Chesapeake Energy and Fort Worth's Mayor Mike Moncrief from running non-odorized natural gas under the homes on Carter Avenue.
I'm in the mood for some Rabble Rousing. And I'm sadly perplexed that there is such a need for Rabble Rousing in the Texas of almost 2010.
Sounds interesting. Where did you find the movie?
ReplyDeleteWe are the proletariat. It's quite telling in such a democratic/Marxist society that the majority of us belong in this class. Is it due to lack of initiative?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous---
ReplyDeleteSalt of the Earth was on Turner Classic Movies, yesterday.
CT2---
ReplyDeleteI think it is just fine to be in the working dog class. while barking and biting at the bourgeois elitists. The only bourgeois elitist that I've at all dealt with of late has been Gar the Texan and his rants about being forced to attend school with proletarians. When the revolution comes you know what happens to the Gar the Texans? It's off with their heads. Figuratively speaking.
Anon,
ReplyDeleteYou can also watch the movie online, it's public domain. Here's a link:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7334797883480289161#
Great film. It played on the big screen at the Modern Art Museum earlier this year (2009). I found it telling that I was one of only 3 people who showed up to see the film. I found it also telling that, it took the women of the little village to get some ass kicking done. It depicts the kind of resistance that I've been urging in FW for the past 5 years to no avail. When I announced a protest in 2008 to stop the gas well on Scott Avenue I was the only one who showed up. At another in 2006 I was one of 4 people. The CREDO group drew a pretty large crowd in 2008 but the group later fizzled. It may take a few body bags to wake people up. Problem is, gas drilling is a slow killer. Maybe some Barnett Shale Wild Women will take matters into their own hands. If that ever happens I'll be there with them. Thanks for sharing this important film.
ReplyDeleteI'm sitting on dead ready.
ReplyDelete