Shaking Up Salt

       The articles discussed the effect of this film on American society surrounding the whole production of Salt of the Earth from pre to post. It was considered communist propaganda before it got a chance to show in American theaters in 1954. This was a tumultuous time for the country with McCarthyism breathing down everyone’s back, it even seeped into the most influential industry of film. This caused filmmakers to point fingers at their colleagues that had nothing to do with communism but also could be charged with being one themselves. This had an effect on filmmaking and many films being censored or blacklisted because assumptions of communist propaganda. 

     

     It is interesting because even after Herbert Biberman was in jail for six months and blacklisted in Hollywood, he continued to make a film that brought no profit for himself or the other filmmakers that joined him. This project was obviously meaningful for him and his whole crew for the struggles they endured to get the film processed even getting the film shown in theaters. The film addresses issues that were based on events that had happened in New Mexico from 1950 - 1952. It addresses social and political issues in a mining town that a company Empire Zinc Company pressed inequality to the Mexican American and Anglo workers and their wives and the problems that arrived during the fifteen month strike. 

      This film deals with issues of inequality with the men that work in mining and the women that also want to stand up and strike against the injustices that the company have brought against their family in their living conditions. This appears to be the core of the American Dream to be able to voice your opinions and stand up for what you believe is right and just. It seems odd that this film was blacklisted as communist propaganda before it even was seen by the American people based solely on the credentials as branded by the U.S. House Committee on Un-American Activities of the writer Michael Wilson, the director Herbert Biberman, and the producer Paul Jarrico. In addition brings up issues of feminism and the wives taking up a substantial role in the strike aiding to the eventual end of the strike and the company giving in to the demands of the workers. This is impressive because this film as well deals with racial inequality of the Mexican American workers. 

      The film used mostly non-professional actors and additionally people that were involved in the actual strike in New Mexico. This made me think of it as a neo-realism film because of certain groups preserving this film as a part of history.  It reminded me of the Italian film The Bicycle Thieves  by Vitto similarly in having non-professional actors star in the film that brings a sense of realism to the story.

        Certain questions that were raised in my mind were that this film tackles many issues dealing with inequality in workers, women and race that were shocking at the time of the release that was not embraced by our own culture but by European culture. It is also interesting how the Czechoslovakia government used this film as propaganda then suddenly striped it away from the public. It brought a light of American life that Europeans did not see much of in the Hollywood films that were released in that era. I am interested to see on how this film tackles all these issues of inequality.


       One word that I stumbled upon in the references which I have mostly likely have seen before in one of my high school english classes seemed revelvant to the piece as a whole which was diachrony. The dictionary definition of diachrony is concerned with the way in which something, esp. language, has developed and evolved through time.  Which makes sense for this film because over time the value of this film was recognized the American people as a cult film that started almost a decade after it was made. This film was casted as communist propaganda and over time that judgement was made false.