Matewan (1987) + Extras [The Criterion Collection]

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.



Audio Commentary by director John Sayles and cinematographer Haskell Wexler (from 2013)

Extras:
– Making-of Documentaries: "Union Dues" (26:17) and "Sacred Words" (31:28)
– "The Music of Matewan" interview with composer Mason Daring (18:46)
– "Them That Work" documentary on the impact that Matewan’s production had on West Virginia (27:57)
– New program on the film’s production design featuring Nora Chavooshian (14:43)