Possibly the finest documentary I have seen and I've seen quite a few. Exemplary on how a filmmaker can involve herself, be in everybody's face, get every little thing on camera, but be testifying instead of exploiting. My greatest delight in this film was how articulate and intelligent the miners and their wives were; textbook English is far inferior to their language. Also see "Matewan" by John Sayles for another perfect evocation of struggle. Watching this movie makes my previous semi-respectful estimation of Michael Moore's self-love evaporate. This is how it should be done, and lord if only all such struggles resolved thusly. Lois Scott for president. See this as quickly as you can.

This is a marvelously made documentary--you can see why the film received the Oscar for Best Documentary. The film took years to make and was obviously a labor of love. It also did what any great documentary does--it galvanizes the viewer towards the issue the film is espousing. You can't see the working conditions, hear the stories of mining cave-ins and see people gasping with black lung without being affected. Your heart really goes out to these folks--mostly uneducated people with few options other than to work in horrible conditions as wage slaves or starve. So it is effective and very compelling. However, there is one minor problem I had watching it--and I know some people will think I am a major jerk for saying it. The music, though VERY evocative and fitting with its poignant words really gave me a headache after a while--particularly the one singer whose nasal voice made my head nearly explode after one too many songs! I would love to have a version of this film WITHOUT the singing...seriously. A wonderful film but god-awful music as the longer you hear it, the more it annoys--thus deflecting the power impact of the film--at least with folks like me who don't like this style of music (which is like a combination of folk and bluegrass music). I know, I know....I must be a jerk for saying this about the music...but it was my impression nonetheless.

Also, seeing a follow-up would be great. What are the working conditions today? And, are they still even mining here? I'd sure like to know more.

This is one powerful documentary about the meager lives the coal miners of Harlan County, Kentucky live and the attempts of the mine owners to get a decent living wage through their union, the United Mine Workers.

It's been over 40 years since Harlan County, USA came out and the questions have changed. If coal wasn't a necessary component for steel we'd probably do away with it all together.

Coal miners knew all about black lung fever before city folk starting getting all kinds of lung ailments from coal smoke. Environmentalists went to work and many societies now are coal free. Good for the people, bad for the miners who face a worse future than the folks of Harlan County, USA did in 1976.

The documentary takes a good look at the murders of Jock Yablonski and his family eventually linked to corrupt UMW president Tony Boyle. There's a fine made for TV film on the Yablonski case that stars 'Charles Bronson. I recommend it highly.

Sadly the same bleak surroundings in Harlan County could be photographed today. Just some different issues added to the mix.