Salt of the Earth

The only American film that was ever blacklisted in the U.S., this independently produced 1954 drama was inspired by a real-life strike in New Mexico by Mexican-American mineworkers. Salt of the Earth takes on issues of racial prejudice, social injustice, and economic inequity, often with a didactic approach, delivering a message about the value of collective action to improve working conditions and receive a fair wage. The cast is comprised largely of non-professionals (many of them participants in the actual strike) and the film was financed by the mineworkers union and made by socially-motivated artists blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee, including producer Paul Jarrico, director Herbert Biberman, screenwriter Michael Wilson, and star Will Geer (playing the cruel sheriff who protects the strikebreakers). Remarkably, no white movie star arrives to save the day, although perhaps the most revolutionary aspect of the film was its recognition of the participation and strength of the women, who rise to positions of leadership in the community and ask for the same respect from their tradition-bound husbands and fathers that the men have been demanding from their bosses. Made during the height of the Red Scare, the film was naturally branded as Communist propaganda. It's a remarkable portrait for its time, a landmark production that remains a powerful film (it was added to the Library of Congress's National Film Registry list in 1992). This Blu-ray debut is made from a worn print, but the transfer presents a reasonably sharp image that will be an acceptable substitute until a true restoration appears. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)