She's So Salty!

When I read about Salt of the Earth without having seen it I wondered if the main social issue was union rights or women's rights. After seeing it I have my answer, but I'm not sure if it's because I am a woman and I am not a member of a union. I felt much more strongly about the women's rights aspect of the film. It seems so ahead of it's time to have shown women being as strong and independent as they were in Salt of the Earth. It was also interesting to see the men being so blatantly horrible to their wives. However, I was very excited to see that the women didn't just take it. Though it was difficult for Esperanza to defy her husband for the good of the union, she eventually did and brought about change for everyone. Seeing those women march was so nice!

I was also very impressed with the crew's dedication to making such a unique film for those days despite the opposition they faced. I can't imagine dealing with the problems of communist accusations and jail time that members of the crew had already faced and pushing through on a film that was unlikely to get released. My hat goes of to them!