The Grapes of Wrath (1940), Bitter Rice (1949), Sorry We Missed You (2019), Bread and Chocolate (1974), Mardi Gras: Made in China (2005), Human Resources (1999), Import/Export (2007), Border Incident (1950) ... Let's take a look at the ranked list of the best Labor Exploitation movies.
Storyline: The Joad clan, introduced to the world in John Steinbeck's iconic novel, is looking for a better life in California. After their drought-ridden farm is seized by the bank, the family -- led by just-paroled son Tom -- loads up a truck and heads West. On the road, beset by hardships, the Joads meet dozens of other families making the same trek and holding onto the same dream. Once in California, however, the Joads soon realize that the promised land isn't quite what they hoped.
Plot Keywords: poverty, social injustice, family struggle, american dream, class conflict, labor exploitation, resilience ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Francesca and Walter are two-bit criminals in Northern Italy, and, in an effort to avoid the police, Francesca joins a group of women rice workers. She meets the voluptuous peasant rice worker, Silvana, and the soon-to-be-discharged soldier, Marco. Walter follows her to the rice fields, and the four characters become involved in a complex plot involving robbery, love, and murder.—Laura Ernestina Ruberto <lruberto@ucsd.edu>
Plot Keywords: italian cinema, rural life, class conflict, female protagonist, labor exploitation, social criticism, poverty ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Ricky and his family have been fighting an uphill struggle against debt since the 2008 financial crash. An opportunity to wrestle back some independence appears with a shiny new van and the chance to run a franchise as a self employed delivery driver. It's hard work, and his wife's job as a carer is no easier. The family unit is strong but when both are pulled in different directions everything comes to breaking point.
Plot Keywords: social realism, working class, family struggle, economic hardship, british film, ken loach, social critique ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Italian immigrant tries to become a member of Swiss society but fails as a waiter and even as a chicken plucker. He then becomes involved with shady wealthy character and tries to hide his Italian identity. He refuses to give up no matter how awful his situation.—Bill Smith <bsmith30@ix.netcom.com>
Plot Keywords: comedy, drama, immigration, social satire, italian cinema, working class, cultural clash ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: This examination of cultural and economic globalization follows the life-cycle of Mardi Gras beads from a small factory in Fuzhou, China, to Mardi Gras in New Orleans, and to art galleries in New York City.
Plot Keywords: globalization, labor rights, consumerism, cultural differences, documentary, american culture, social justice ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: The 35-hour work week has all of France in its thrall. This film turns it into a feature about economic and familial politics. Frank, a business school graduate, returns to his provincial hometown to take a management position in the factory where his father has been working for 30 years. First Frank makes the mistake of actually asking the workers on the assembly line for their opinions. Then upper management manipulates his findings to lay off employees. This creates a huge rift, not only between labor and management, but between father and son. A human morality tale that evokes paternal and filial love, and illustrates the personal risk behind political ideas.—NDNF
Plot Keywords: workplace, comedy, french film, office politics, social satire, dark humor, management ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: A nurse from Ukraine searches for a better life in the West, while an unemployed security guard from Austria heads East for the same reason.
Plot Keywords: social realism, european cinema, immigration, globalization, labor exploitation, poverty, unemployment ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: To penetrate a gang exploiting illegal Mexican farmworkers smuggled into California (and leaving no live witnesses), Mexican federal agent Pablo Rodriguez poses as an ignorant bracero, while his American counterpart Jack Bearnes works from outside. Soon, both are in deadly danger from the ringleader, sinister rancher Owen Parkson, and find night on the farm to be full of shadowy film-noir menace...—Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
Plot Keywords: crime, film noir, immigration, mexico, usa, border, labor exploitation ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: In South Yorkshire, a small group of railway maintenance men discover that because of privatization, their lives will never be the same. When the trusty British Rail sign is replaced by one reading East Midland Infrastructure, it is clear that there will be the inevitable winners and losers as downsizing and efficiency become the new buzzwords. A cheery camaraderie is soon replaced by uncertainty and turmoil when their depot manager fills them in on the details of the new arrangement. Privatization means that the customer now comes first, something that is instilled into the men in new training sessions. But there are inconsistencies and shortsightedness to the new ways. Men used to working together now find themselves belonging to different, competing companies. Some even have to tender for their old jobs. Others decide to take the redundancy packages offered by the firm. As always, corners are cut in the interest of lowering costs, leading to a series of misadventures.—Sujit R. Varma
Plot Keywords: working class, unemployment, social realism, british cinema, ken loach, workers' rights, critique of capitalism ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Davey Fenwick (Sir Michael Redgrave) leaves his mining village on a university scholarship intent on returning to better support the miners against the owners. But he falls in love with Jenny (Margaret Lockwood) who gets him to marry her and return home as local schoolteacher before finishing his degree. Davey finds he is ill-at-ease in his role, the more so when he realizes Jenny still loves her former boyfriend. When he finds that his father and the other miners are going to have to continue working on a possibly deadly coal seam he decides to act.—Jeremy Perkins {J-26}
Plot Keywords: working class, social injustice, poverty, class conflict, idealism, realism, social realism ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: This documentary takes the viewer on a deeply personal journey into the everyday lives of families struggling to fight Goliath. From a family business owner in the Midwest to a preacher in California, from workers in Florida to a poet in Mexico, dozens of film crews on three continents bring the intensely personal stories of an assault on families and American values.—Brave New Films
Plot Keywords: documentary, labor rights, exploitation, globalization, social justice, economic inequality, critique of capitalism ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Richard Pryor plays three roles: Leroy Jones, a poor orange-picker who gets laid off for accidentally joining the workers' union during one of their demonstrations; Leroy's father, whom Leroy leaves behind with the rest of his family to go to Los Angeles; and Reverend Lenox Thomas, who gets Leroy's wife Annie Mae pregnant during Leroy's absence. In Los Angeles, Leroy ends up working for the same company that fired him back home; he is a manager at the company but is now distant from his former pals. Though married, he falls in love with labor organizer Vanetta and must divide his time between her and Annie Mae. When he discovers that Annie Mae is pregnant by Reverend Thomas, he puts the moves on Mrs. Thomas.—mts77
Plot Keywords: comedy, satire, social class, race, labor rights, african american, working class ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Labor-rights activists battle Coca-Cola Co. over violations of international laws.
Plot Keywords: documentary, labor rights, human rights, investigation, social justice, workers' rights, murder case ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: After living in Madrid for many years as a teacher, Lucia returns to her hometown after her father's death results in the inheritance of his tomato farm. While fighting the community's racism toward the new illegal workers, Lucia falls in love with the farm's accountant, Curro, a man who shares her cause. The couple is forced to confront the racism of the town and as tensions come to head, they will have to make some decisions that could cost them everything.—Anonymous
Plot Keywords: drama, racial discrimination, working class, cultural clash, realism, european cinema, independent film ...
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