In its centennial year, a forgotten American tragedy, centered on the long closed copper mines of Bisbee, Arizona, is brought to light by descendants of the real participants in the form of reenactments of events replayed on the actual locations. It makes for a historically compelling, but only partially satisfying documentary from Robert Greene. The conflict stemmed from increased copper production as America prepped to enter WWI. In spite of making money hand over fist, the mine owners refused to bargain with the largely immigrant-worker demands on hours, pay & safety conditions and their union, the most radical of major American unions, the IWW (slogan: One Big Union!) called Strike! Over a thousand walked; answered by violent enforcement and cattle car deportation to be left in the middle of the desert by a mostly White/mostly armed force acting under the made-up principle of ‘The Law of Necessity.’ Shocking as the act was, the general ignorance of the events from recent generations of the decimated Bisbee townspeople may be even greater. (The town shrinking two-thirds after the last copper mine shut down in 1975.) Greene spends most of his time mining for memories, mainly from sons & daughters of the players on both sides. And it’s disheartening to listen to many of them not so much defend indefensible acts as stand their ground because Dad or Granddad couldn’t have done something wrong. Greene misjudging the line between letting someone hang by their own rope and false equivalency. And the reenactment, when it does come, unable to tell the story clearly.
SCREWY THOUGHT OF THE DAY/LINK: One of the more thoughtful participants notes how the union had a song for every occasion; or wrote one. And it’s true! Think of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union/ILGWU (the ‘Look for the Union Label’ people) who went so far as to turn one of their musical pep rally shows into the hit late-‘30s B’way musical PINS AND NEEDLES. A complete studio cast recording of the Harold Rome score made in the ‘60s can be found on various services, and excerpts from it sung by guest star Barbra Streisand are on youtube. https://open.spotify.com/album/11wkhjI7iSqiaefVNGRJ1q
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