Gutsycurene Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

Ginger Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Bob This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Curt Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

imdbcom-03846 I'm so glad I saw this film! It shows the power of solidarity - people of all backgrounds, gender, and whatever other category might otherwise be used to separate them, uniting together to gain the power and dignity they deserve as human beings. It took some of them a while to learn, but the common struggle tears down walls. Rise up, and push everyone else up with you!

runamokprods If a bit awkward and rough edged in form, a bit on the nose in it's politics, and a bit melodramatic in it's telling, this is an historically important early 'independent' film. Made by artists largely blacklisted from Hollywood for liberal beliefs, and/or for refusing to testify against others, this was the only film in America's history that was itself blacklisted, and kept out of theaters despite positive reviews. Yet what it preached; basic dignity and rights for Hispanics, for women, and for workers could hardly be seen, even then, as a real threat to America -- had it not been for hysteria towards all things liberal, progressive, or intellectual –- those things being lumped in with communist revolutionary activity. It's remarkable for a 1954 film to see an American film with all the leading roles being Hispanic, and played by Hispanics, not white actors in 'brown face'. Even more impressive is the film's early but potent feminist viewpoint. The issue of women also adds a nice level of complexity to a story that could have felt too simplistic in terms of right and wrong. The male Hispanic workers are almost as guilty of oppressing their wives as the Anglo bosses are of oppressing their Hispanic workers. So there's an acknowledgment that everyone still had a lot to learn about creating an equal society in those days. Along with the occasionally awkward acting (most of the cast were non-professionals) and occasionally too blatant speech-making, there are some very moving, human and inspiring moments. And in a nice twist of fate, after being blacklisted from theaters and kept from the public, the film now resides on the national registry of important films.

david-sarkies I gave this movie a high score not only because it is very anti-American, but it was made at a time where if you were anti-American you could be exiled, or even executed. 1953 was at the height of McCarthyism and the Hollywood Black List. Anything remotely smelling of communism was considered traitorous and a danger to the fulfillment of the American Dream.Suddenly appears Salt of the Earth, a movie where capitalism is attacked and the idea of liberty and truth is spat on. This movie challenges those who watch it to realise that America was not a land of equality and that even in the 1950's there were people living in poverty.The movie is based around a Zinc mine and a Latin-American community. The Mexican's men work in the mine while the women slave away in conditions which are way below the poverty level and the Anglo families who also work in the mine live a much higher lifestyle. There are problems at the mine as well for the Anglo's are treated with respect while the Mexicans are expendable, and as such they decide to strike. When the court orders the miners to cease striking, the women take up the job.When I look at this movie I see a movie that stands up and protests against the lies that enshrouded the Fifties. At this time women's rights were ignored and equality among the people was only something that the white people enjoyed. It wasn't until a few years later that the Negro equal rights movement began, but even then it was equal rights for Negros, and not Mexicans, Indians, or Asians. What this movie does is it attacks the American way of life and shows us that equality is a myth that will never be reached as long as equality remains only among the white people.When this movie was released in 1953 it caused a lot of anger among those who wanted to "protect the American way of life." It was shown in very few cinemas, and those that did were watched by the FBI and anybody who went inside were noted as potential seditioners. It is interesting to note that at that time there were more people searching for communists than there were communists. They say that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance, but I can't help thinking that their eternal vigilance is going in the wrong direction.

Boba_Fett1138 This by no means is a great or greatly made movie but it tells a good story. It's a movie about standing up for your rights and against discrimination as well as female emancipation. All in all more than enough elements for the American government to ban this movie and blacklist basically every person involved with it, if they weren't blacklisted already that is. Pretty ridicules of course in todays light but that's how things were during the McCartney-era. Most notable blacklisted person involved with this movie was writer Michael Wilson, who would later write the classics "The Bridge on the River Kwai" and "Lawrence of Arabia" but never in his life-time received the acknowledgment or acclaim for it because he simply couldn't been given the writing credits for its, due to the fact he got blacklisted in the '50's. Prior to that he also wrote the screenplay for other classics "It's a Wonderful Life" and "A Place in the Sun".It is still a relevant movie because of the issues it handles. And this is also one of my complaints with this movie. At the end you don't really feel that the characters and this movie actually achieved anything the change the whole situation. As long as money is important companies like this will use cheap labor forces, with minimum wage and without overly expensive safety measures. This is not something typical American. Of course not everything is still the same now days but some of the problems of the old days got replaced by a whole new similar bunch of problems.The movie got made very cheaply and in secret, due to the involvement of blacklisted persons. Because of this the movie does not exactly use the best director, the best cinematographer, the best editor or the best actors. As a matter of fact the movie its cast largely consists out of non-actors and it gets presented and mentioned as if that's something to be proud. I'm sorry but more than halve of these persons in this movie just really can't act. But granted that this movie is not necessarily a movie, so not everything I just mentioned really matters for the end result. It can be seen as the telling of a true story, in an almost documentary like style. It got shot at the spot, with only the available things and persons at hand. It got shot at a real Mexican miners community, with real miners and their families.Really not the greatest looking or made movie but it tells a good story.7/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/