By: Arpit Nayak –
What we are now experiencing is the repercussion of the self-immolation made by many from the past; we might not recognize it, but something we cannot get away with is to be in their place, because one thing is definite – that sacrifices of today provide for the conveniences of the new humanity. At the same time, many of today’s generation do not acknowledge it. Still, if one looks back to the inspiring reality and rich history resulting from this working freedom, it will make one understand the real merit of it.
The working people are the spine of building and supporting the most developed countries. Today, we comprehend the evidential effect of the struggles of the past in the guise of fixed hours, equality, fair pay, workplace safety measures, sick days, vacations, and holidays. Cinema as a medium has always helped us edify and experience this history realistically and artistically. A collative result allows us to indicate the hecatomb and endeavor people did to better our lot. For their courage, handwork, and amalgamation gives a little applause. Here is a list of films that takes us to various periods related to labor and workers’ struggle, unification, and valiance.
The Grapes of Wrath – 1940
Families and workers are exploited by organized business most of the time, and John Steinbeck’s classic novel of the Great Depression from which director John Ford took inspiration for his same-named film shows this. It’s a story of Tom Joad (Henry Fonda), newly released from prison, who moves with his family to California in search of work, and anew life. They lost it all in the Oklahoma Dust Bowl; and now they find work on the farm that barely helps them survive due to the low wages. They face the unfairness and greed of the landowners who play them for their benefit. However, Tom ends up killing a guard to save his friend Casey, which leads him to leave the family to protect them from his problem.
The film displays the grinding truth of families who shift to different parts of the country or world seeking new life and opportunities, and gives us a look at that era. The struggle and hardship they had to pull through. The film also provides an essential lesson on munificence; it can come in any shape, even in your own darkest hour. It is the most powerful thing you can give to others.
This film received a great response from audiences, and peers awarded it an Academy Award for Best Director for John Ford. It shows us social differences by demonstrating the uneven working circumstance the migrants deal with and how the landholders use their power to control the supply and demand, so that they can pay lower wages to workers.
How Green Was My Valley – 1941
The story is about a hard-working Welsh coal-mining family (the Morgans) who struggle to survive hard times and live in an impoverished mining community. A significant conflict occurs, which leads their fellow coal miners to strike against owners over a forced wage reduction, resulting in near starvation and poverty for the villagers. The youngest son gets admission to a national school but abandons his education to work in the mines. After a group of miners, including his father, are stuck in a mine cave-in, changing his life forever.
The film is a masterpiece of sentimental human drama; a melodramatic and nostalgic yet realistic story directed by John Ford. He received the Best Director Academy Award for this, too, as well as Best Picture.
The film showcases the reality of the workers’ families, their constant struggle to manage their families, and conflicts with owners over the unfairness of pay and safety concerns.
Do Bigha Zameen -1953
India is a nation once known as a farmer’s nation, and this 1953 film tells the story of a farmer whose land needs to be taken to create space for industrialization. Shambhu (Balraj Sahni) has two bighas (a land measurement) of land that are part of a more extensive land that the local zamindar (wealthy person) wants to acquire. The landlord demands to give his land away for the money Shambhu owes him. When he says no, the zamindar threatens to sell his land.
Balraj Sahni’s performance in this film is authentic as a farmer; the film tells about the past where the wealthy people use to play with farmers as they wanted; where the poor were getting poorer, and the rich were getting richer and richer. This film gives a great view of the state of 40s and 50s India.
Salt of the Earth – 1954
Salt of the Earth is famous in film because nearly everyone associated with making it, including the crew, were blacklisted by Hollywood as part of the Red Scare of the 1950s. There was a time where mining was an uplifting industry, and their working dynamics were different from now. This tale is about a strike of Mexican-American miners in opposition to a zinc mining company. A miner name Ramon Quintero helps strike by uniting others against injustice. Besides, there is an argument between male workers and their wives. When the strike instructs men to stop protesting, they take their place in the fight.
The story explores multiple narratives of mining workers’ lives and their tussle with the mining companies. It also talks about race-related and gender equalitarianism and unification in their grievances against corporate hostility.
On the Waterfront – 1954
On the Waterfront displays a powerful account of union corruption and racketeering. The story is about dock workers struggling for work. They force them to submit to low daily wages by brutal appointing bosses and the control of mob-affiliated labor unions. Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando), a hot-headed guy, favors corrupt and murderous union boss Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb). Later he changes his mind and, with the sister of a murdered comrade, fights on the side of righteousness.
This may be an unusual choice for this list as it is considered more a crime drama. Still, it’s inspired by the real story of the time and showcases the criminal acuity of the docks, their politics, the mortality of the workers, and the brutality of dock and union leaders. Elia Kazan directed it. It’s among Marlon Brando’s most memorable performances. It’s a rare story, a must-watch.
Namak Haraam -1973
This movie came at a time when textile mills were booming in Mumbai. It’s directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, starring Amitabh Bachchan as Vicky and Rajesh Khanna as Sonu. The story is about two friends, Vicky and Sonu, and how they showcase their emotions about class divisions. Vicky is embarrassed by his factory’s union leader, which makes him quit work; Sonu joins them as a worker and soon takes the union leader’s place. He eventually empathizes with the difficulty of the workers and starts to believe in their ideals. That causes trouble in their friendship.
The film shows a realistic take on that time in history and its union policies.
F.I.S.T. – 1978
Johnny Kovak (Sylvester Stallone) works in a depository and gets overtired of the workplace’s unfair policies, which leads him to start a riot. This results in him being fired, but his spirit wins him the admiration of his peers, which leads him to join as a recruit for a labor union known as the Federation of Interstate Truckers (F.I.S.T). As the association grows and becomes more strapping, his influence extends, and eventually his aspiration results in a partnership with gangsters, which brings trouble.
One of the finest scenes is where Stallone, at a podium, encourages the followers to exhibit their unity by acting as “one fist,” reminding the membership to fill the hall with the booming vroom of a “One, one fist” chant.
The film gives a message on unionism, wrong aspirations, and the negative impact of domination; it’s one of the movies that indeed too many have not noticed.
Kaala Patthar – 1979
One of the best collaboration between the late Yash Chopra and Amitabh Bachchan, this film’s story is inspired by the Chasnala coal mining disaster, where Amitabh plays Vijay, a coal miner respected among peers and hiding his past where he was a disgraced ex-merchant navy officer. While safety is a big issue at plants, the new manager Ravi ( Sashi Kapoor) decides to take the side of workers. One day, an accident happens in mine while workers are inside, including Vijay and Mangal (Shatrughan Sinha). How they deal with the situation is what this film’s about.
The film not only shows us the excellent direction and acting of the cast, but it deals with real issues like the greed of owners, and how they are blindsided when it comes to the safety of the workers. It’s a must-watch in case you have not seen it.
Norma Rae – 1979
The film takes place in a North Carolina cotton-mill, where mill-worker pay is hardly proportional to the long hours and their awful working conditions. As a result of an inspiring speech by a labor activist, a female worker named Norma Rae gets motivated. She unites fellow workers and decides to stand against the issues they face with millwork. The result is it upsets her family and provokes the mill owner.
Sally Field plays the leading role of Norma Rae, and the film is directed by Martin Ritt. The story is inspired by real events in the life of Crystal Lee Sutton, and not only shares its notions on despotism but also shows the different aspects of unionization. It envelops these aspects, and critical subjects like women’s empowerment empower the viewer to change the system while enjoying a compelling story.
Aghaat – 1985
A film not many have heard of is this 1985 Govind Nihalani film starting Om Puri as union leader Madhav Verma. While Madhav has the majority support of the employees in his organization, he also has a rival, Rustom Patel (Naseeruddin Shah). They wish to break his union and build one for themselves. When one worker loses his legs in an accident, other associations started taking advantage of it by talking to the workers. This puts Madhav in between his ethics and the violence the situation may cause.
The story is one of that is a fine example of realistic cinema. It closely examines the politics of trade unions and how they get used as a tool.
Matewan – 1987
The film is a true story of Matewan, a small coal town located in West Virginia, where there was a great clash between striking miners and owners in the 1920s. Quixotic Organizer Joe Keenan (Chris Cooper) and the sheriff of Mingo County decide to support the town’s inhabitants and help those uniting white and African American workers, Appalachia-born and immigrants. The incident was a focal point in coal miners urging patience at the coal company’s violent provocations.
Director John Sayles paints a portrait of the harsh reality of the time. It’s the debut film of Chris Cooper where he plays the role of Joe, a union organizer who takes a stand against Hickey (Kevin Tighe), who is negative.
The film shows an essential part of the mining history, which we often don’t focus on; it gives you insight on coal-mining in the early era of America, and the people who stood against their unity. It also looks at how class and labor change can impact small towns and the treatment that migrants obtain.
Silkwood – 1983
This is the powerful and influential true story of Karen Silkwood, who was a union worker in a plutonium pellet plant that discovered risky work conditions. When she investigates, she finds out the secrets of the plants and their carelessness for the workers. She finds all the evidence to support her allegations, but dies of a car crash the day of meeting with the reporter.
The story showcases the side of plants where work conditions are tricky, and lives are at stake. How the importance of workers’ lives gets negated, and how upper management can harm in order to protect their dirty secrets.
Hoffa – 1992
Jimmy Hoffa is one of the most critical figures from 1950 to 1970 in union politics. This 1992 film showcases both the prime and low part of his life, from being a wildly popular head of the Teamsters Union to the hard part where he faces allegations on corruption and the hand of the mafia in his sudden disappearance.
Jack Nicholson is vital as Jimmy Hoffa, a mighty union controller and activist of that time. The story shows the union politics of that time and how they not only conned the workers, but played with their trust as well and used them as pawns for the benefit of their leaders.
9 to 5 – 1980
9 to 5 is the story of three aspiring working women, Violet, Judy, and Doralee. They all work at a firm and their boss is Franklin Hart, who is sexist, lustful, and imperious. Violet has worked hard for many years but never got the senior supervisor status she deserved. Judy is inexperienced and newly hired. Doralee is ostracized from the other female workers after a lousy encounter made them think she was sleeping with Franklin. Separately the three women unite in their hatred of their boss, and even imagine how they can kill him. They kidnap the boss as he blackmails them, which creates a merry mess.
It was named one of the 100 funniest movies ever made by the American Film Institute. It starts Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda, and Lily Tomlin, was written by Patricia Resnick and Colin Higgins, and directed by Colin Higgins. The film delivers the great laughs but does not shy away from showing sexism at the workplace and how it impacts the workers’ mental states, how people from top try to take advantage of people in need, and the courage one needs to fight it.
Human Resources – 1999
This French film is a story of Frank, a new business school graduate heading back to his home to start a job where his father works. As he gets involved in work, he unfolds the top management’s secrets, which they use against the workers for their benefit; he finds out their manipulative and wrong tactics. He decides to take a stand with the workers that leads him not just to problems with leadership but also his father.
This film speaks loudly on the issues of top management and their manipulative tricks to take advantage of their employees. It also shows how one has to keep the inner soul alive against all of this – the film speaks on the ethics of work life and domestic politics.
Up in the Air – 2009
The film is based on the book of the same name, starring George Clooney as Ryan Bingham, whose job is to travel around the country to fire people on behalf of the companies who don’t want to face their employees’ heat. His boss, Craig Gregory (Jason Bateman), has complete faith in his getting the job done. He mostly spends time traveling, and while meeting a newly joined recruit, he trains her and how this impacts his personal life is what the film is about.
It’s one of the finest films which talk about multiple things; it shows how corporations will hire someone else to do their dirty work, and speaks about men who are so involved in work that they don’t know how it feels to be home. When they feel the emotion of how it impacts their mindset, it’s not directly linked to labor, but it deals with what the new generations face in their personal life and the everyday life they forget in search of bright corporate lights.
The Company Men – 2010
The film talks more about the working conditions of the modern workplace. It’s the story of an employee at a shipping and manufacturing firm, Bobby Walker (Ben Affleck), a strong performer who doesn’t look back. He is liked by management and coworkers. When his company goes through a rough period, they started firing, which includes him and two of his colleagues.
The film gives a realistic look at how tough times at an organization can impact the employees. The hard times it brings to their family and mental health. It is the blunt truth about how unemployment can demolish the dreams and hope of a person.
Union Leader – 2017
This film starts as the story of a chemical plant worker, Jay, with other big dreams, but he started working there due to family. While working as an employee at a chemical plant, he is treated poorly and doesn’t get fair wages; after leaving it, he decides to stand against it and his co-workers one day. At the same time, he is fighting for his family and relationships which are not well; his son doesn’t respect him, and his wife is not on his side. How he deals with the battle of outside and inside is the film.
It’s one of those films which sadly not many people have seen. It has an incredible performance by underappreciated actor Rahul Bhat. The movie shows very closely the lives of the workers and the consequences they face for their actions.
Without labor nothing prospers.” – Sophocles
I hope you will the list and do let us know in the comments if we have missed out on any film!
