Matewan

"It takes more than guns to kill a man."

1987 2h 12m EN

👍

7.4

SOLID

★7.4TMDB · 146

DramaHistory

Synopsis

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Filmed in the coal country of West Virginia, "Matewan" celebrates labor organizing in the context of a 1920s work stoppage. Union organizer, Joe Kenehan, a scab named "Few Clothes" Johnson and a sympathetic mayor and police chief heroically fight the power represented by a coal company and Matewan's vested interests so that justice and workers' rights need not take a back seat to squalid working conditions, exploitation and the bottom line.

“It takes more than guns to kill a man.”

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Cast

Chris Cooper
Joe Kenehan
James Earl Jones
'Few Clothes' Johnson
Mary McDonnell
Elma Radnor
Will Oldham
Danny Radnor
David Strathairn
Police Chief Sid Hatfield
Ken Jenkins
Sephus Purcell
Kevin Tighe
Bill Hickey
Gordon Clapp
Tom Griggs

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: John Sayles
Writers: John Sayles
Languages: English, Italian
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $4.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 42% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

39 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Italian.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by John Sayles, shot by Haskell Wexler. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Mason Daring. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Sonya Polonsky shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Chris Cooper and James Earl Jones and Mary McDonnell carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

John Sayles directs. Haskell Wexler behind the camera. Mason Daring scores. Sonya Polonsky cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, Italian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $4.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Earned back only 42% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
339 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
4Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Italian.
5Directed by John Sayles, shot by Haskell Wexler. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Mason Daring. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Sonya Polonsky shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Chris Cooper and James Earl Jones and Mary McDonnell carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "It takes more than guns to kill a man.".
10IMDB entry: tt0093509 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 23 themes, including "traitor", "based on true story", "west virginia", "gun battle".