Harlan county, usa feminist films in the swarthmorebryn. Chicago suntimes october 25, 1977 cabin creek films. Harlan county, usa, an oscarwinning documentary directed and produced by prominent filmmaker barbara kopple in 1976, is an incredibly moving film that tells the story using an intersection of the participatory and observational documentary modes of coal miners in kentucky who, together with their families, endured a long, violent strike in defense of their rights. The stars of the film are the men and women of harlan county, portrayed here not as patronized mountain folks but as human beings. It won the oscar for best documentary at the 49th academy awards. I worry about writing about this film myself and whether or not i will just be elongating that concise but limiting sentence. While art is clearly not truth, documentaries are the rare art form where truth is essential, because it is not merely cinema but a. Of maybe every movie i truly love, harlan county u. The music of the coal miners is organically woven into the film. Harlan county, usa 1977 documentary on free online video. When kopple received her oscar for harlan county usa in 1977, she said. Video archive for the film harlan county usa, which has a domestic theatrical release in the year of 1977. Thirty years after the release of this documentary, five miners died in an explosion at harlan county. Barbara kopples 1977 documentary on a kentucky coal miners strike is muddled on the issues, but it earned its oscar as a dramatic, involving story.
Id lost track of how many times ive seen harlan county, but i decided to watch it again before the event. This is a documentary talking about the mine strikes of harlan county, kentucky in 1973 where the laborers and miners of harlan. Kopple touches on many other subject during the interview, including the opening and closing shots of harlan county usa, how she begged her parents to send more 16mm film so she could keep shooting, standing on picket lines even if she had no film in the camera and the importance of staying with a story, no matter how long it takes. Miss kopple began by filming the fight against the old. There is currently one video available for the film, of which one and only one is a trailer, as listed below. The county was the subject of the film harlan county, usa 1976, which documented strikes and organizing during a second major period of labor unrest in the 1970s. After the new deal, the war on poverty, osha and all sorts of other social progress, here was the gripping documentary of dirtpoor coal miners in eastern. Featuring a haunting soundtrackwith legendary country and bluegrass artists hazel dickens, merle travis, sarah gunning, and florence reecethe film is a. Director barbara kopples film about the 1973 coal miners strike in harlan county, ky. With unprecedented access, kopple and her crew captured the miners sometimes violent struggles with. Harlan county, usa is a 1976 documentary film covering the brookside strike, an effort of 180 coal miners and their wives against the duke power. Barbara kopples harlan county usa international documentary. Barbara kopples academy awardwinning harlan county usa unflinchingly documents a grueling coal miners strike in a small kentucky town.
Asb in appalachia alternative breaks see mountaintop removal mining. Locals had indelible memories of the 1930s, when harlan county had been known as bloody harlan and as home to some of the fiercest battles in labor union history. Eastovers refusal to sign a contract when the miners joined with the united mine workers of america led to the strike, which lasted more than a year and included violent battles between guntoting. Featuring a haunting soundtrackwith legendary country and bluegrass artists hazel dickens, merle. Harlan county is also mentioned as the setting of the david allan coe song daddy was a god fearin man off of his 1977 album tattoo. The heart of it is an academyaward winning documentary by barbara kopple on a coal miners strike in harlan co. A filmed account of a bitterly violent miner strike. Academy award winning documentary harlan county usa 1976. A, opening today at the outer circle 2, suffers from some makeshift structural devices and occasional lapses of judgment, but its an ardent, absorbing work of. Not shocking in language or sexuality as movies can be, but shocking in a much more chilling way. The film recounts firsthand a classic american labor dispute.
Harlan county, usa followed 200 coalmining families and. Harlan county, usa is not only a great documentary, but a great film. We are using cookies for the best presentation of our site. Asb in appalachia alternative spring break harlan kentucky see mountaintop removal coal mining learn about appalachian culture, oldtime mountain music, go hiking in the mountains. People who liked harlan county, usa also liked these free titles. Harlan county, usa is a 1976 oscarwinning documentary film covering. One of the finest documentaries ever made, barbara kopples harlan county u. Harlan county, usa is reallife drama of the highest order. It fascinates me how seeing a film again can strike you differently each time you see it.
Barbara kopple born july 30, 1946 is an american film director known primarily for her documentary work she has won two academy awards, the first in 1976 for harlan county. Its editing is ragged, its narrative structure is confusing and begins to unravel towards the end. When kopple received her oscar for harlan county usa in 1977, she. Barbara kopples hardhitting, roughtaround the edges, people vs politics documentary definitely heats up the screen, and some thoughts. Harlan county, usa is a 1976 oscarwinning documentary film covering the brookside strike,an effort of 180 coal miners and their wives. Harlan county, usa, barbara kopples feature length film about a coal miners strike in kentucky, is the best u. However, i still was moved by this film as much as i have ever beeen moved by a movie. Harlan county, usa is a 1976 documentary film covering the brookside strike, an effort of 180 coal miners and their wives against the duke power companyowned eastover coal companys brookside mine and prep plant in harlan county, southeast kentucky in 1973. Directed and produced by barbara kopple, who has long. Ballads sung on the picket line at the brookside mine in harlan county were captured on film by documentarian john gaventa. It well deserves its academy award, and 1990 inclusion in the national film registry of the library of congress. A documentary film, which chronicles the bitter and violent struggle between coal miners and management in appalachian kentucky.
I introduced barbara kopple at the cinema eye awards in new york this past january, where she received the legacy award for her 1976 film harlan county usa. This is a documentary talking about the mine strikes of harlan county, kentucky in 1973 where the laborers and miners of harlan took on the mine owner. Filmmaker barbara kopple shows kentucky coal miners brutally opposed in a 1973 strike. This film chronicles the bitter and violent struggle waged by coal miners. Although realistic dramas still attracted mass audiencesas evidenced by dog day.
Harlan county usa trailer 1977 trailer for the documentary harlan county usa. It fascinates me how seeing a film again can strike you differently each. The movie was added to the library of congress national film registry in 1990. What is most striking about harlan county, usa is barbara koppels total immersion into the lives and culture of harlan county, kentucky, and the coal miners who live there. The two discuss how they came to be involved in the film s production and about the scene in the film where strikebreakers attacked the film crew. Harlan county, usa is a 1976 oscarwinning documentary film covering the brookside strike,an effort of 180 coal miners and their wives against the duke power companyowned eastover coal companys brookside mine and prep plant in harlan county, southeast kentucky in 1973.
Few documentaries today have the immediacy, intensity, or militant appeal of this oscarwinning film, an edgeofyourseat tribute to a courageous group of hard hats and their families. Chicago suntimes october 25, 1977 film depicts strike and way of life harlan county usa 1977 harlan county, u. When the film was shot, money was the bigger issue industry profits rose 170% in 1975, but miners wages rose only 4%. Pg 1h 43min documentary 28 september 1977 france harlan county u. This film documents the coal miners strike against the brookside mine of the. With unprecedented access, kopple and her crew captured the miners sometimes violent struggles with strikebreakers, local police, and company thugs. The current popularity and cultural importance of documentaries would have been inconceivable in 1976, when harlan county usa briefly ignited commercial movie screens. Barry parker from wpfws film exchange interviews nancy barker and hart perry, respectively the director of editing and principal cinematographer of barbara kopples 1977 documentary harlan county usa. Winner of the 1976 best feature documentary oscar and an inductee into the library of congresss national film registry, barbara kopples extraordinary harlan county, u. This gripping, youarethere, oscarwinning documentary captures a 1973 coal miners strike in rural kentucky that lasted more than a year and eventually turned violent. Barbara kopples academy awardwinning harlan county usa unflinchingly documents a grueling coal miners strike in a small. Barbara kopples academy awardwinning harlan county usa unflinchingly documents a grueling.
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