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www.matewan.com

This week’s Film Arts Committee movie is even less deserving than usual of the archetypal FAC-film reception (i.e., nobody showing up). It’s “Matewan,” a drama about striking miners by John Sayles, perhaps America’s consummate independent filmmaker and script-writer. This is the guy whose first film, “The Return of the Seacaucus 7,” was ripped off by Lawrence Kasdan to produce “The Big Chill.” “Matewan,” like several Sayles films, was nominated for an Academy Award, in this case for Best Original Screenplay.

“Matewan,” which is based on actual events compressed into a fictional format, delves deeply into social and moral issues surrounding the American Labor movement of the early 20th century. It’s a hard look at life and labor conditions in a coal mining town in the 1920s, with a premise based on a tragic showdown between West Virginia miners and management which became known as the “Matewan massacre.” In the real-life conflict, as in the film, union organizers bump up against strong resistance and flares of violence from management.

Interestingly, the film displays religion as a powerful catalyst for change; the union organizer played by Chris Cooper is the kind of obvious Christ figure that grad-school film profs go bonkers for. This makes it an especially important film for Christians interested in the early-century labor movement.

“Matewan”’s director Sayles is a prolific indie auteur whose previous work displays a concern with social and class issues and an interest in the relational nature of personhood. His latest project, called “Limbo,” is set in Alaska.

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