Saturday, January 15, 2011

Lightly Salted

I have never done a blog before, and seeing as this is the first assignment I am hoping it will be more of a learning experience.
First off, having only read about the film Salt of the Earth makes it a little difficult to get a complete understanding of the controversy surrounding it. I do understand the political implications people believe it contains, as well as the gritty subject matter.
What I found interesting was that only five cast members were actually professional actors. This would make the film likely to feel more authentic and real and honest... but I'm only guessing. This makes me more excited to see the film and see if my predictions were correct. This film carries a lot of issues in the matters it brings to light. Not only issues surrounding working conditions, but also people's personal home issues. Sexism and a separation between who is allowed to stand up and voice their opinions seems to be something the film will rely on to tell the story.
I can see where people would have gotten the idea that the film was influenced by communist mindset, because the union that sponsored it was at that time under communist domination. For someone who hasn't seen the film, this does lead to the idea that the ideas being supported in the film will be pro-communism. Still, even if the film were made with intentions of expressing the union's political beliefs, free speech allows this. It is up to the viewer to decide if he or she agrees with the viewpoint or not. Of course, it is a sticky area because no theater wants to take the risk in showing such a controversial film. Better to stay out of it completely.
That being said, I am anxious to see the film now after being exposed to the history behind it and learning about the trouble it went through just to be released.

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