Mexican workers at a zinc mine call a general strike. It is only through the solidarity of the workers, and importantly the indomitable resolve of their wives, mothers, and daughters, that t... Read allMexican workers at a zinc mine call a general strike. It is only through the solidarity of the workers, and importantly the indomitable resolve of their wives, mothers, and daughters, that they eventually triumph.Mexican workers at a zinc mine call a general strike. It is only through the solidarity of the workers, and importantly the indomitable resolve of their wives, mothers, and daughters, that they eventually triumph.
- Awards
- 3 wins
- Ramon Quintero
- (as Juan Chacon)
- Barton
- (as David Wolfe)
- Consuelo Ruiz
- (as Angela Sanchez)
- Charley Vidal
- (as Ernest Velasquez)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaBecause the producers feared both sabotage and destruction of the film, the exposed footage had to be developed in secret, at night, by a sympathetic lab technician, with the film delivered in unmarked canisters.
- GoofsWhen Ramon is in the bar, his hands change position several times between shots.
- Quotes
Esperanza Quintero: Whose neck shall I stand on to make me feel superior, and what will I have out of it? I don't want anything lower than I am. I am low enough already. I want to rise and to push everything up with me as I go.
- Crazy creditsOpening credits prologue: our scene is NEW MEXICO LAND OF THE FREE AMERICANS WHO INSPIRED THIS FILM
HOME OF THE BRAVE AMERICANS WHO PLAYED MOST OF ITS ROLES.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Precious Images (1986)
- SoundtracksWe Shall Not Be Moved
(uncredited)
Traditional
Sung by the women on the picket line
Third, the themes remain quite relevant. When we see footage of, say Bolivian coca growers taking to the streets to overthrow their country's US-sponsored tycoon president, what's so surprising about a community of Mexican American workers standing in solidarity against an exploitative mining company? When we see Justice for Janitors bringing the owners of LA's office towers to the table (at least), what's so far-fetched about workers in Salt of the Earth grabbing a bit of justice for themselves? I could go on.
From the vantage point of 2003, Salt of the Earth looks like a refreshing change. Agitprop is news to a lot of people today - it can be powerful if done well, yet we're now all conditioned to think that any form of dramatic art that doesn't center obsessively on the isolated individual is false and/or sentimental. Is Salt of the Earth really more sentimental than On the Waterfront (made about the same time), in which a corruption struggle on the New Jersey docks serves merely as the scenery for Marlon Brando's emoting about his boxing career?? Come on!!
People who stand in solidarity really are powerful. Americans are taught not to think so, but it's when they stand up together, not separately, that they win the biggest victories (and I don't mean in uniform, either).
- laursene
- Oct 19, 2003
- How long is Salt of the Earth?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $250,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 34 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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