Factors of Production - Essay Example

Order 291254 Topic: Matewan I. SUMMARY OF FACTS What are the factors of production' Any student of economics will tell -land, labor, capital and organization. Which is important' Labor is important, because capital without labor is dead! But the ageless conflict, in one form or the other, between the labor and capital has been going on without intermission. It is the ruthless competition for aggrandizement of wealth on the one hand, and the labors class that rightly wishing to share the profit in a reasonable proportion. This class unites for the purpose of launching the struggle for their rights. Unity!-and sometimes what sins are committed in the name of unity and also for the sake of breaking the unity! All in the name of American ideals of freedom and free enterprise! It is very easy to incorporate great ideals in the constitution and almost make it a spiritual document, which promises the well-being of people of all sections and strata of the society. But that which is not practical, cannot be spiritual either. Every spiritual ideal must stand the test of practicability and must be implemented for the benefit of humanity. This movie, Matewan, is the saga of the miner's vicious fight over the power brokers and thugs of the early 20th century coal mining industry It is a wonderful portrayal of the events that occurred in West Virginia in the 1920's.Government interference in favor of the free enterprise, undid the worker's hard-won achievements and they were pushed back to square one. But that is not the end of the story. The real story relates to human elements relating to the entire drama, the betrayal, resolve and ultimately sacrifices for the cause. The meaning of sacrifice is profound. Firstly, there must be a cause for the sacrifice; secondly there must be the heart for the sacrifice; thirdly there must be the grit, stamina, the indomitable courage for the sacrifice and finally to receive the rewards or punishments for the sacrifice with a balanced mental attitude! II. ISSUES 1. What were the working conditions in the coal mines' 2. What were the problems in forming a lawful trade union' 3. How the issue of socio-spirituality is introduced and dealt with in the movie' III. DICUSSION 1. What were the working conditions in the coal mines' There were no working conditions in Matewan, only conditions of work imposed on the workers by the ruthless management! The system of exploitation was carried out to perfection with a difficult hurdle placed at each stage of the life of the miner. The commodities of basic needs of the miner were purchased through the script issued by the management, in lieu of legal tender. The worker had to pay for food, shelter and clothing. Apart from the poor economic conditions, they had no mental peace, being constantly intimidated by the management thugs. The management remained in total control of the social and economic life of the miners and they were like the prisoners within the four walls. 2. What were the problems in forming a lawful trade union' A real trade union functioning under a fair management, does not believe that the management is its permanent enemy and it should be at 'war' with it at all times. A former woman labor organizer in West Virginia, who saw the film Matewan, was vocal in her comments on the film'the working and living conditions of the miners and their families have not been depicted properly-they were far worse! She spoke at union meetings surrounded by armed body guards and many of her youthful colleagues were assassinated by the thugs hired by the management. To conduct trade union activities under such grim conditions was no less adventurous than to conduct guerilla warfare! 3. How the issue of socio-spirituality is introduced and dealt with in the movie' A philosopher (anonymous) has said, "So far as a single human being is hungry in this world, my whole religion is to feed him!" The enlightened management is guarantee for excellent productivity. But the private detectives and law enforcement officers thought that selective assassinations could brow-beat the workers. They murdered Sid Hatfield, the town sheriff of Matewan. More than 10,000 armed miners from six coal counties sought bloody revenge in the McDowell County courthouse. In such grim situations, Sayles introduces a saintly stranger, Joe Kenehan, to whom socialism and religious fervor are alternative beats of the same heart. He is the union's emissary and his mission is to win the confidence of the people and to organize the labor peacefully. His task is to tackle the natural enemies of the labor-the agents of the mine owners. Sayles builds the peace process in the movie with lots of imagination and grit. To Joe, collective bargaining is as good as seeking salvation for the workers. The workers are told how to practice Christianity, by exhortation to kindness, belief in brotherhood, sincerity of the purpose and dignity of work. IV.OPINION Finally, "The forces of Good assert themselves in a final shootout with the company's hired hooligans; the strike is won, but at the cost of Cooper's life. Sayles' recreation of the era in which Matewan is set is impeccable; adding to the authenticity are several rousing pro-labor songs, written in the style of the period by Sayles himself." (The Movie'.) The ideal and goal of any film is not mere entertainment but enlightenment of humanity as well. The story and dialogues in the film should provide not what the present generation wants, but what it needs! The work-force in all the industries and organizations can build the country, jus as sometimes it is claimed that they can break it. In the conditions obtaining in almost all the countries of the world today, we necessarily want builders. People need to be basically sound and industrious and basic conditions need to be created, for the people to become basically sound and industrious! Capitalism and Communism that once claimed to solve all the problems of humanity have miserably failed to deliver the results. When the mass philosophies have proved helpless to bring happiness, the individual has to take control of him, by changing one's own thought process for achieving progress through inner development. When the thoughts are changed, the mind is changed; when the mind is changed the man is changed; when the man is changed the society is changed. World peace and 'the world is one family' become attainable realities then! ================ Woks Cited: Amazon.com: Matewan: Retrieved on April 21, 2009 Matewan (1987) Starring: Jace Alexander, Tom Carlin Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) Product Details Actors: Jace Alexander, Tom Carlin, Gordon Clapp, Chris Cooper, Joe Grifasi Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC Language: English, Italian Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.) Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Number of discs: 1 Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) Studio: Lions Gate DVD Release Date: August 14, 2001 Run Time: 142 minutes The Movie MatewanSayles' recreation of the era in which Matewan is set'. - Retrieved on April 21, 2009 Read More