In Dubious Battle

"In Dubious Battle" is a very good film about unionizing during the rough and violent 1930s. Because there was the Depression, employers were paying even lower wages than usual because they knew the workers needed the jobs and would work at slave wages. In the example you see in the film, the workers are promised a paltry $3 a day...only to show up and learn that they would only be paid $1!

In the midst of this injustice, organizers from the IWW (The Industrial Workers of the World, or 'The Wobblies' as they were popularly called) arrive to organize the apple pickers and demand a reasonable salary. But the man in charge (Robert Duvall) is a real devil...and he's not above killing some of the workers to force the rest of them in line.

This film is an excellent example of labor exploitation and is pretty realistic. However, as a US History teacher, I also felt the film wasn't exactly balanced (though it was very well made). This is because the very radical platform of the Wobblies is never mentioned and they seem much like any other union of the day in the film. However, the I. W. W. Didn't just call for better wages and conditions (something all workers deserve) but the abolishment of property rights and communism--something you could understand since the economy was in crisis. But despite this BIG omission, the workers did need organizing and were being exploited...and the film got that part of the story dead right. Why they never mentioned the Wobblies' platform, I have no idea...perhaps it was ignorance, naivete or perhaps it was to make the story more 'black & white', so to speak. Either way, most of the unions of the day (such as the AFofL) were not in support of the I. W. W. And its radical plaform.

Because the acting was very good and the film was so well made, I can't give this a low score. I just wish the film had presented a more realistic image of the struggle...not to demonize the workers (heck, they had every right to be angry) but to tell a complete picture of the struggle. In fact, seeing a film about the I. W. W. Would be very interesting and worth seeing.

Here we have a story that was told well - directing and writing was good, cinematography, editing and sound was great, but the pace was very slow and missing substance. It felt like someone monotonic was telling a story, but with no punch-line, or closing plot message. It wasn't a bad film, and the cast were all on point, but is was just missing that wow factor for me. It's a 6/10 from me.

Liked this movie? read the book. didn't like this movie? read the book. the book is soooo good, and no matter how good (or bad) the adaption, the movie just can't capture it's essence.

read 'In Dubious Battle' by John Steinbeck.

Did you like As I Lay Dying and The Sound and the Fury? You'll want to check out In Dubious Battle, another classic story brought to the big screen by director and actor James Franco. During the Great Depression, migrant workers strike and fight for fairer wages, but since it's based off a John Steinbeck book, so you know it's going to be a touch more dramatic than Norma Rae.

Nat Wolff is the main character, but if you've only seen him in quirky movies and can't take him seriously yet, don't worry. He's surrounded by such heavyweights you'll have plenty of other people to focus on. Nat teams up with James Franco and Ahna O'Reilly to stir up activism within poor laborers, and they infiltrate a group of apple pickers headed by Vincent D'Onofrio. Since this is a Steinbeck story, you'll be on the lookout for the "old man with the dog" character: Ed Harris briefly graces the screen, albeit sans canine. Ladies, if you had a crush on the blue-eyed charmer in the '90s, you might want to skip this one.

Seeing so many familiar faces in the cast who have worked with Franco in previous films-Nat Wolff, Ahna O'Reilly, Ed Harris, Robert Duvall, Scott Haze, Bryan Cranston, Jack Kehler, Joel Marsh Garland, Selena Gomez, and Keegan Allen-is a big compliment. If someone is difficult or unpleasant to work with, actors generally won't flock to be a part of his next project. Having such a combination of stage and screen legends, including Sam Shepard, attaching their names to his film is a way of publicly declaring their respect for his talent.

If you're a Steinbeck fan, or if you haven't seen one a James Franco directed movie yet, pick this one up. It's a very thoughtful piece, and it's great to see so many classically trained actors pooling their talents together. Granted, those who have obviously studied acting and had stage experience constantly show up the younger folks, but that's to be expected.

I've seen that James Franco is in at least one movie in theaters every week.

For the most part he places himself in the movie so that the movie would get more promotion like a theatrical release (Or so I believe).

This time was different as he directed and stared in this playing a major role as a unionizer, or rather the processor to this in 1933, which seems to be a Cold-hearted con man who just wants to make all workers get a fair shake. Plus the movie has a pretty big name cast with Vincent D'Onofrio Robert Duvall Bryan Cranston with a small role and Selma Gomez of all people trying to put some substance on her resume.

Plus Franco did a good job at directing himself.

It's a small movie with a very big cast, about a great story that still registers with people today.

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