Blue Collar (1978) YIFY - Download Movie TORRENT

I had to admit something to myself after watching Blue Collar; that I have preconceptions about any movie starring Richard Pryor. Pryor made so many silly comedies like "Stir Crazy" and "Moving" I tend to want to dismiss or label every movie in which he appeared...bad move. Blue Collar is a highly entertaining film that works on several levels. Most of all it scores as a raw, gritty, muckraking type of film exposing the corruption of labor unions and corporate America. Secondly, it works pretty well on a comedic level, but its funny because it's real. The acting here is top notch and Pryor really stands out, and as good as Harvey Keitel is as an actor, Pryor matches him step for step.Zeke, Jerry and Smokey (Pryor, Keitel and Yaphet Kotto) are three buddies working for the Auto union at Checker Automotive. (a real car maker that allowed the movie to be filmed at their plant, after the big three rejected it) By day, they weld, paint and rivet, by night, they drink and party and concoct schemes to get ahead financially. Eventually they stumble upon a ledger that contains proof that their union is corrupt. They decide to blackmail the union bosses and things start to get complicated. At this point, the film starts to take a more serious tone as the union fights back in a way nobody expected. Zeke is the only one of the three the union bosses are very concerned about and soon he is being offered a promotion.Pryors even-keeled performance is the key to the film. He's tough and unflappable but smart enough to know when to give in to the powers that determine his fate. His decisions aren't necessary the ones you expect out of a Hollywood movie, but they are the ones that would likely be made in real life....and thats part of the tragedy.Another great aspect of Blue Collar is the bluesy soundtrack by Jack Nitzsche, with guitar work by the legendary Ry Cooder and the title track performed by Captain Beefheart. The establishing scenes over the opening credits are highlighted by the blues soundtrack with actual punch press sounds incorporated into the music. Its really unique... and a special nod needs given to director Paul Shrader, who handles the films change in tone nicely, and gives the film a tightness and realism that keeps our attention focused throughout.The movie Blue Collar, viewed today, is like a living time capsule from the 1970s. Lynyrd Skynyrd on the Jukebox, "Good Times" on the TV and Strohs Beer being served at the local Bar. Blue Collar will have a special significance for those who (like me) are from the Midwest...the rust belt. This all seems so familiar, the mindset of these union workers, the us against them mentality...feeling defeated by the system...too far in debt to go a different route in life.Some of the characters here remind me of the fathers of some of the kids I grew up with. It left me contemplating the question -were we better off when the auto unions were stronger or not? 'real wages' haven't gone up in nearly 40 years. We lose more jobs overseas every year. Were the times depicted in Blue Collar actually the "good old days"?...or more like, the last of the good old days? When Smokey makes his cryptic speech about "the old being pitted against young, black being pitted against white, everything they do is to keep us in our place"...He isn't just talking about the labor unions, I think he is talking about the whole system itself. Scary thought.

Zeke, Smokey and Jerry are workers on the assembly line of an auto-factory in Michigan. They toil each and every day for too little pay and no benefits. Management is corrupt, and their union is no help whatsoever. After unforeseen events in their personal lives necessitate Zeke and Jerry having some extra cash, the three men decide to rob the safe at union headquarters. After the heist, things begin to unravel as the corruption and strong-arm tactics of the union come to light. Will Zeke, Smokey and Jerry make it out from under the union's thumb, or will the system keep them in their places and at each other's throats?Paul Schrader's 'Blue Collar' is a powerful, gritty comedy-drama that is realistic, entertaining and surprisingly sapient. Written by Schrader and his brother Leonard (inspired by a story from Sydney A. Glass) the film skewers 70's society and the auto workers union, with its' inherent racism, classism and capitalist greed. It is in many places a hard film to watch because it's so believable, so sadly true. The characters in the film are kept down and in their place by a system they don't have the power to overthrow, or even escape from. Zeke, Smokey and Jerry are little more than pawns in the union's game, and the Schrader brothers' story is a critique of the corrupt game-players at the head of the table, as well as the system that allows them to thrive.'Blue Collar' is also a wickedly funny crime caper, featuring sharp dialogue and set-pieces that are as memorable as they are mad-cap. The heist itself- though tense- is one of the funniest moments in the film. The back and forth between the characters throughout is fast-paced, clever and full of barbed wit. There are numerous compelling dramatic scenes- particularly in the latter half- which are generally counter-poised well with comedy; so things never become too dark or uncomfortable. It is a marvel of tone and an exercise in clever, balanced screenwriting and direction.Credit must also go to Tom Rolf for his subtly assured editing, which helps maintain that tone. His work reinforces the power and drama at the heart of 'Blue Collar' deftly and with great dexterity. Bobby Byrne's cinematography must also be mentioned, as it is naturalistic but not without artistic stylizations. His composition is striking- be it a shot of three wasted men on a couch that has near religious symbolism, or an ending freeze frame that looks like a poster from the 40's- Byrne's work lingers in the mind long after the credits have rolled and you've left the cinema.Jack Nitzsche's score is atmospheric and thunderously effective. Utilizing synthesizers and tools (and in one scene the sound of ominous bees) to create a naturalistic sound, Nitzsche's music is as angry and as wound-up as the characters in the film. His 'Hard Workin Man', sung by Captain Beefheart, is particularly memorable. He also makes efficacious use of songs from the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Howlin' Wolf and Ike & Tina Turner, which complement the film and its' themes astutely.Richard Pryor, Yaphet Kotto and Harvey Keitel star as Zeke, Smokey and Jerry respectively. Though they were reportedly bickering constantly during the making of 'Blue Collar', their chemistry seems genuine and each give grounded, commanding performances. Pryor's work as a dramatic actor is largely overlooked nowadays, with his eloquent, understated turns in moving films like 'Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling' and 'Some Kind Of Hero' going largely unsung. His work as Zeke in 'Blue Collar' is better remembered, though, and he is brilliant in the film. Funny at times, brash at others, but always enveloped in an air of vulnerability; you sympathize with him completely. It is naturalistic, enthralling work that is at the peak of Pryor's filmography.Kotto and Keitel are somewhat side-lined in most reviews- both contemporary and retrospective- though they too deliver masterful performances full of range and energy. Perhaps it is because they are better known as actors of much depth, whereas Pryor is primarily remembered as a comedian, that they get the short end of the stick come critique time. Whatever the reason, Kotto is wonderful in the film, a cool cat built like a pressure cooker: at any moment you feel he could explode in a fit of violent anger. He said he played Smokey like "an Italian in black skin," and his volatile but immensely smooth performance reflects that notion.Arguably one of the finest actors of his generation, Keitel is something of the straight man of the three, though his performance is still one of immense strength and emotional sagacity. His Jerry is really a conduit for the audience, in the latter half of the film especially; and you're on his side the whole way through. Harry Bellaver leads the supporting cast as Eddie Johnson, the leader of the union, and he is magnificent; sinister despite his crooked grin and friendly countenance. Lane Smith, Ed Begley Jr and Lucy Saroyan also do admirable work that stands the test of time.The whole film does. 'Blue Collar' is a stunning, startling comedy-drama that is an alarmingly true portrait of corruption and greed. It is funny in places, sad in others, while always being knowing and original. Though Paul Schrader distanced himself from the film in later years, it is one of the finest pieces he ever directed, up there with 'Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters' and 'Affliction.' It is- in short- a veristic, entertaining and profound portrait of disunion within the union that is completely unforgettable and utterly engrossing.

Blue Collar

1978

Action / Crime / Drama

Blue Collar

1978

Action / Crime / Drama

Plot summary

Director

Top cast

Tech specs

Movie Reviews

don't be fooled by Pryor being the star, this is a gritty, realistic film about labor unions with a real message

Disunion Within The Union

1 Comments