Harlancounty

Review:
In my opinion, Barbara Kopple’s directorial debut is everything a great documentary should strive to be. This is a tightly knit film where Kopple attempts to bring the camera into the very world the coal miners live, uncovering a harsh life that is only made more oppressive by the company that controls them. Her success is achieved because we do not see her, we see the community.
Much like her later early 1990’s Oscar winning American Dream, Harlan County U.S.A., follows a small community as it tries to battle a force greater than themselves. Sadly, for these people, the situation here was not merely about wage increases but quality of life, health standards and any number of other problems.
If you find yourself drawing comparisons to Michael Moore when reading this summary, then on one level you are correct. Kopple seems to dedicate her early career to championing the rights of the lower classes, but her activism is much less subtle. Unlike, one of Moore’s works, Kopple steps aside, letting her subjects do the talking- this painstaking process includes using the songs of singing miners act as the soundtrack for the film.
Unfortunately, this process requires more time and patience to weave a story and some modern day viewers will find it boring compared to the more in-your-face style of Moore and others, but those willing to devote themselves to this documentary will be well rewarded with an understanding that is far deeper than a mere shallow cross examination directors today may offer.
This is not a flashy, graphic and music intensive documentary about the black and white nature of certain issues plaguing our world, but rather a tale of the intricate grays that affect society. If you’ve seen Kopple’s later work American Dream, or Steve James’ Hoop Dreams, you will certainly appreciate this documentary. If you consider your self a film enthusiast, or even if you simply desire to dive into the documentary genre, this is a must see for everyone, as Kopple’s work helped lay most the foundation today’s documentaries build upon.

Review by Matthew Abshire

Informative: 5- You’ll gain an understanding of the Harlan County strike and even more importantly you will understand the corporate business mentality towards low paid workers.
Entertainment: 4- Several great moments that would just snap me back to the heart of the film.
Technical: 5- Not as flashy by today’s standards, but it does more things right than even some of the top films today.
Overall: 5- Barbara Kopple is one of the most influential documentary filmmakers of all time, and Harlan County U.S.A is proof of that.

Format: DVD
Year: 1976
Running Time: 103 Min
Distributor: Cabin Creek
Producer: Barbara Kopple
Director: Barbara Kopple
Date Reviewed: 5-24-2007

Story: Director Barbara Kopple's film about the 1973 coal miners' strike in Harlan County, Ky., won a Best Documentary Oscar and was selected for the National Film Registry. Highlighting the struggles of families living in shacks with no indoor plumbing and enduring hazardous working conditions, the film details the conflict between the Eastover Mining Co. and the laborers determined to join the United Mine Workers of America (NetFlix).