Review of Salt of the Earth (1954) by Adam C — 16 Jan 2004

(VHS) (First Viewing, 1st Biberman film).

Made by a group of blacklisted filmmakers in New Mexico, [b]Salt of the Earth[/b] got itself boycotted and banned in American theatres for praising Communist ideals. It's the only film in America that ever got blacklisted (or so the box says).

It's actually a strikingly similar film to the popular [b]On the Waterfront[/b], in that a group of people (this time Mexican workers) led by an individual (this time a woman played with much dignity by Mexican actress Rosaura Revueltas) fight against corruption and unfairness of the big business (discriminating mine owners). It's definitely not as well made as [b]Waterfront[/b] and considering that a large majority of the cast were nonprofessionals, the acting doesn't quite compare either. But it achieves a power that's riveting, and it doesn't quite have that undertone of desperation for justification that occasionaly plagues [b]On the Waterfront[/b].

I found a (poor) VHS copy of this film at my local library, and there is a DVD available somewhere, but Netflix no longer carries it. But if you can find this gem, it's a must see!