The Salt Of The Earth Analysis
The Salt of the Earth, a 1954 film by Michael Wilson, is truly a masterpiece. In a very unbiased and professional way, I can say that this film is thus far, my favorite film that we have seen in our Chicano Cinema class, and the reason is easily seen. This film by Wilson adequately and precisely depicted the struggles that many Mexican American citizens suffered through in their work. The movie takes place in Zinc Town, New Mexico, where the population consists of many miners that work for the local mining factory. The factory had been experiencing many accidents in the factory, all involving Mexican American workers, and the factory owners were doing nothing to solve safety issues. The working miners realize that the only way that they will be able to solve the insecurity issues and ensure a better pay, will be to boycott the factory, form a picket line, and begin a strike. Our protagonist, Esperanza Quintero, portrayed by Rosaura Revueltas, is the wife of one of these striking miners. She asks her husband to include the issues that women are dealing with in their strike; including hot running water. The story, which started out as a male miner movement, suddenly, and unexpectedly for this time period, shifts dramatically. The men are no longer allowed to hold their picket
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line, so the women take over their strike, something that had never been seen before. The women, which were before excluded from the strike, and had had their strike requests denied, were now striking, not only for what they believed in, but what their husbands were fighting for. The roles of women and men were completely reversed. The men had to go home and take care of the household duties, while women worked to keep their husband’s jobs. By the end of the movie, the women successfully win the strike. Their depiction changes completely, and they are now empowered and revered for what they have accomplished. They are stronger than what society had ever perceived a woman to be.
This film is absolutely amazing for it shows the real life struggles and lives of real miners. The producers interviewed the real people that this movie was based on, and even included some of these individuals on screen; for example, Juan Chacon as Ramon Quintero, the husband of our protagonist. The movie was made as accurate as possible and was very successful at accomplishing this. As Chacon stated, “Salt, [is] the expression of the Mexican-American spirit, as well as an effective organizational tool…for equality and saw the film as a way to get their story to a wider public” (Lorence, 1999 p. 197).
After knowing what this movie is about, an individual would be shocked to know that this movie was banned from American theaters, and that the movie producers were all blacklisted and considered communists. After watching the movie, it is clear to see that it is, in no way, a movie portraying communist propaganda. So now one asks, “Why was it ever blacklisted and labeled communist?”
By comparing the movie to an article by James J. Lorence, it is concluded that, combined with the blacklisted producers, the radical and scandalous theme, this movie was, in no surprise, labeled as communist. Not because it gave a communist message, but because reformation, and the women’s/Chicano movement was such a new concept, that it was instantly associated with this communist idea.
The movie itself is a very far-reaching one, for its theme is one that has never been seen before. Before this movie, never had a woman been a protagonist, much less a Mexican American woman, “The film effectively depicted the pivotal role of women in the working community” (Lorence, 1999, p 201). According to Lorence (1999) The Salt of the Earth depicted changes and issues that were the wave of the future, their role in the strike can’t be erased, and it was part of a progression that would not finish until many years later (p198).
Another theme that basically scared viewers into thinking this was a communist movie, was the “self-identified value [that] Mexican-Americans [sought] to achieve ‘cohesion as a minority’ and ‘increased strength’” (Lorence, 1999, p 198). Movie viewers would see this movie, and watch a minority group join and revolt against a majority, and feared that this same would happen in the United States, with a group of communists fighting with their communist beliefs, against U.S. citizens.
After reading about and watching this wonderful movie, I can literally understand everyone’s point of view on this movie.
I see why the Mexican Americans want their story heard, why the producers struggled so much to make this movie possible, and why Americans were so scared of this movie bringing in Communist ideas. However, something that cannot be denied is just how great the movie itself is. Even when the FBI was investigating, interrupting, and even deporting individuals involved in the movie, the producers were able to shake them off and continue developing the movie. I personally expected the movie to be full of glitches and mistakes, but it was quite wonderful, and close to
perfect.
Overall, I found this movie to be fantastic. I loved the message it gave, the feelings it portrayed, and the realism behind it. It is a revolutionary movie that empowers both women and Mexican Americans, and it is for this reason, that I find this movie to be my favorite thus far.
line, so the women take over their strike, something that had never been seen before. The women, which were before excluded from the strike, and had had their strike requests denied, were now striking, not only for what they believed in, but what their husbands were fighting for. The roles of women and men were completely reversed. The men had to go home and take care of the household duties, while women worked to keep their husband’s jobs. By the end of the movie, the women successfully win the strike. Their depiction changes completely, and they are now empowered and revered for what they have accomplished. They are stronger than what society had ever perceived a woman to be.
This film is absolutely amazing for it shows the real life struggles and lives of real miners. The producers interviewed the real people that this movie was based on, and even included some of these individuals on screen; for example, Juan Chacon as Ramon Quintero, the husband of our protagonist. The movie was made as accurate as possible and was very successful at accomplishing this. As Chacon stated, “Salt, [is] the expression of the Mexican-American spirit, as well as an effective organizational tool…for equality and saw the film as a way to get their story to a wider public” (Lorence, 1999 p. 197).
After knowing what this movie is about, an individual would be shocked to know that this movie was banned from American theaters, and that the movie producers were all blacklisted and considered communists. After watching the movie, it is clear to see that it is, in no way, a movie portraying communist propaganda. So now one asks, “Why was it ever blacklisted and labeled communist?”
By comparing the movie to an article by James J. Lorence, it is concluded that, combined with the blacklisted producers, the radical and scandalous theme, this movie was, in no surprise, labeled as communist. Not because it gave a communist message, but because reformation, and the women’s/Chicano movement was such a new concept, that it was instantly associated with this communist idea.
The movie itself is a very far-reaching one, for its theme is one that has never been seen before. Before this movie, never had a woman been a protagonist, much less a Mexican American woman, “The film effectively depicted the pivotal role of women in the working community” (Lorence, 1999, p 201). According to Lorence (1999) The Salt of the Earth depicted changes and issues that were the wave of the future, their role in the strike can’t be erased, and it was part of a progression that would not finish until many years later (p198).
Another theme that basically scared viewers into thinking this was a communist movie, was the “self-identified value [that] Mexican-Americans [sought] to achieve ‘cohesion as a minority’ and ‘increased strength’” (Lorence, 1999, p 198). Movie viewers would see this movie, and watch a minority group join and revolt against a majority, and feared that this same would happen in the United States, with a group of communists fighting with their communist beliefs, against U.S. citizens.
After reading about and watching this wonderful movie, I can literally understand everyone’s point of view on this movie.
I see why the Mexican Americans want their story heard, why the producers struggled so much to make this movie possible, and why Americans were so scared of this movie bringing in Communist ideas. However, something that cannot be denied is just how great the movie itself is. Even when the FBI was investigating, interrupting, and even deporting individuals involved in the movie, the producers were able to shake them off and continue developing the movie. I personally expected the movie to be full of glitches and mistakes, but it was quite wonderful, and close to
perfect.
Overall, I found this movie to be fantastic. I loved the message it gave, the feelings it portrayed, and the realism behind it. It is a revolutionary movie that empowers both women and Mexican Americans, and it is for this reason, that I find this movie to be my favorite thus far.