Die Tapferen weinen nicht

Good film about the dangers of an industry that is now extinct

A dramatisation set north of the border but actually shot in Southall of events at Knocklinnoch Castle Colliery which created a national sensation in September 1950 when 129 miners were trapped underground by a landslide. Although an early feather in the cap of both Group 3 and director Philip Leacock - originally opening amidst much fanfare at the Edinburgh Festival - few people actually went to see it; and this is only the fourth review ever to be posted of it on the IMDb in over twenty years.

The British public always had an ambivalent attitude to coal miners. (We all know what Margaret Thatcher called them!) No one in their right mind would want to go down the pit for a living; but they were a by-word for union militancy both before and after the General Strike. The censors kept a careful eye on films about them, with the result that just as prison films deal with riots and break-outs rather than the day-to-day tedium of prison life, so films about miners concentrate on colliery disasters. So this film is basically 'Morning Departure' underground rather than underwater.

No frills, no intrusive music "creating an atmosphere". Just good basic acting in the most natural fashion by many unsung cast members, some of whom such as Fulton Mackay and Andrew Keir going on the distinguished careers.

I see IMDB haven't credited the title song, Kishmulls Run. It is the inestimable Kenneth MacKellar at his best.

THE BRAVE DON'T CRY is an early disaster movie based on a true story about a mining accident in Scotland and the havoc it wreaks on a small village community. The story has much in similar to the recent plight of the Chilean miners who found themselves trapped underground for 10 days after a cave in and the stakes are similarly perilous in this film.

The movie is very much a product of its era, with a cosy, parochial feel to many of the village scenes and a fighting spirit that sees characters refuse to lose their tough Scots bravado in the face of overwhelming odds. As such it's a rather moving film, with strong acting and compelling direction to recommend it.

John Gregson is an obvious choice for the stalwart lead, playing the chief rescuer, but the real star of the film is John Rae playing the tough-yet-tender foreman. Film fans will be interested in the presence of two later stars, Fulton Mackay (PORRIDGE) and Andrew Keir (QUATERMASS AND THE PIT), although both are virtually unrecognisable at this stage of their career. There are also cameos for Russell Hunter and Sam Kydd.

In the days when we had a mining industry incidents like this happened occasionally.However the miners were defeated in a showdown with Margaret Thatcher after which the mining industry seemed to disintegrate,and I am not sure if there is a working pit anymore.Whilst this film is clearly realistic it is rather downbeat and I wonder if it would have attracted much of an audience.I was rather puzzled by some of the technical matters.Why could they only get 3 out at a time.Why we're they using a forehand respirator that wasn't normally used in the pits.How was it that when John Gregson came in that they couldn't take people out immediately?