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Game CloudMatewan (Criterion Collection)
Filmed in the coal country of West Virginia, "Matewan" celebrates labor organizing in the context of a 1920s work stoppage. Union organizer, Joe Kenehan, a scab named "Few Clothes" Johnson and a sympathetic mayor and police chief heroically fight the power represented by a coal company and Matewan's vested interests so that justice and workers' rights need not take a back seat to squalid working conditions, exploitation and the bottom line.
Cast View all
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Chris Cooper | Joe Kenehan |
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Mary McDonnell | Elma Radnor |
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Will Oldham | Danny Radnor |
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David Strathairn | Sid Hatfield |
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Ken Jenkins | Sephus Purcell |
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Kevin Tighe | Hickey |
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Gordon Clapp | Tom Griggs |
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Bob Gunton | C.E. Lively |
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Jace Alexander | Hillard Elkins |
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Joe Grifasi | Fausto |
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Nancy Mette | Bridey Mae |
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Jo Henderson | Mrs. Elkins |
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Josh Mostel | Cabell Testerman |
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Gary McCleery | Ludie |
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Maggie Renzi | Rosaria |
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Tom Wright | Tom |
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Michael B. Preston | Ellix |
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Thomas A. Carlin | Turley |
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Jenni Cline | Luann |
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Michael Mantell | Doolin |
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J.K. Kent Lilly | Pappy's Voice |
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Ida Williams | Mrs. Knightes |
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James Kizer | Tolbert |
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Ronnie Stapleton | Stennis |
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Davide Ferrario | Gianni |
Crew
| Director | John Sayles |
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| Writer | John Sayles | |
| Producer | Mark Balsam, Ira Deutchman, James Glenn Dudelson, Ned Kendall, Amir Jacob Malin, Peggy Rajski, Maggie Renzi, Jerry Silva | |
| Musician | Mason Daring | |
| Photography | Haskell Wexler | |
Personal
| Quantity | 1 |
|---|---|
| Seen | |
| Added Date | Jul 25, 2024 22:13:03 |
| Modified Date | Jul 25, 2024 22:15:58 |
Edition details
| Subtitles | English (SDH) |
|---|---|
| Distributor | The Criterion Collection |
| Layers | Single side, Dual layer |
Notes
Bought during the July 2024 sale
Written and directed by John Sayles, this wrenching historical drama recounts the true story of a West Virginia coal town where the local miners’ struggle to form a union rose to the pitch of all-out war in 1920. When Matewan’s miners go on strike, organizer Joe Kenehan (Chris Cooper, in his film debut) arrives to help them, uniting workers white and black, Appalachia-born and immigrant, while urging patience in the face of the coal company’s violent provocations. With a crackerjack ensemble cast—including James Earl Jones, David Strathairn, Mary McDonnell, and Will Oldham—and Oscar-nominated cinematography by Haskell Wexler, Matewan taps into a rich vein of Americana with painstaking attention to local texture, issuing an impassioned cry for justice that still resounds today.
New 4K digital restoration, supervised by director John Sayles, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
Audio commentary from 2013 featuring Sayles and cinematographer Haskell Wexler
Two new documentaries on the making of the film featuring Sayles, producer Maggie Renzi, production designer Nora Chavooshian, and actors Chris Cooper, James Earl Jones, Mary McDonnell, Will Oldham, and David Strathairn
New interview with composer Mason Daring
Short documentary on the impact that Matewan’s production had on West Virginia
New program on the film’s production design featuring Chavooshian
Trailer
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
PLUS: An essay by critic A. S. Hamrah
New cover by Eric Skillman