Matewan

Filmmaker John Sayles has an absolutely breathless oeuvre filled with projects that are quiet in their political retribution, even though the subjects of those films often denote something much more outspoken or violent. In his debut feature, "The Brother from Another Planet," he made a movie about black life in New York seen through the lens of an alien that appears to be a black man. Yet, the film never dives into cheap dramaturgy about the state of racism in America. It cruises by with a madcap and genuine sense of understanding, which comes off as something revelatory.

His second feature, 1987's "Matewan," plays a bit to the opposite side of the spectrum: It presents a time in which all people were being crushed under the boot heel of greedy coal mining companies, pushing lives to the brink. And in classic Sayles fashion, it's a genuine look at a time in history that still feels relevant today. When the film reaches its inevitable bloody climax, it feels all the more crushing. You can only stave off the disgusts of history so long. Criterion's new Blu-ray of "Matewan" is in itself a revelatory release of a film that demands not to be forgotten. Packed with special features any fan of cinema will enjoy, this is one of the must-own home releases of the year.

In Mingo County, West Virginia in 1920, coal miners are struggling to form a union after constantly being shortchanged by the Stone Mountain Coal Corporation. In walks Joe Kenehan (Chris Cooper, in his first starring role), an ex-con and union organizer sent to help. Now, the miners must deal with the corporation sending in Italian and Black workers to break the strike and continue the dangerous work in the mines. With an all-star cast including James Earl Jones, Mary McDonnell, Will Oldham, David Strathairn, and Bob Gunton, "Matewan" is about the groups of people coming from all walks of life, all in their own way let down by the corporate industrial complex that employs them.

There are two new 30-minute making-of featurettes included with this new Blu-ray that break open just why Sayles' own brand of leftist cinema works so damn much. Cast and crew from "Matewan" speak to the project as if it was more than just a job, like a thing they had to do that was integral to all their careers. James Earl Jones, in particular, speaks very highly of his experience on the film and mentions that it was a passion role for him, as the role itself was written not to pander to a shallow sense of understanding and instead was rich and brimming with life. Those sentiments are pretty much echoed by everyone else interviewed, and it's a delight to see Sayles himself talking about his work with cinematographer Haskell Wexler on the project. Pick this Blu-ray up immediately, as it shines a light on a film that itself shined a light on an injustice that still has yet to be righted. Other special features include:

� New 4K digital restoration, supervised by director John Sayles, with an uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
� Audio commentary from 2013 featuring Sayles and cinematographer Haskell Wexler
� Two new documentaries on the making of the film featuring Sayles, producer Maggie Renzi, production designer Nora Chavooshian, and actors Chris Cooper, James Earl Jones, Mary McDonnell, Will Oldham, and David Strathairn
� New interview with composer Mason Daring
� Short documentary on the impact that Matewan's production had on West Virginia
� New program on the film's production design featuring Chavooshian
� Trailer
� PLUS: An essay by critic A. S. Hamrah

"Matewan"
Blu-ray
$39.95
https://www.criterion.com/films/29461-matewan