Blue Collar is a criminally under rated classic from writer/director Paul Schrader. This is in my opinion one of his finest works. This is a very compelling and gritty drama with powerhouse performances from Harvey Keitel, Yaphet Kotto and Richard Pryor. This film is much about the struggles of the working man and a look at American society at the time. The film holds up well and much of the themes of the film are relevant today. Very well written and shot, the story flows well and the dialogue and performances are top notch. While the film is about union corruption, it also is a very human story that shows some of the circumstances that corruption manifests itself. There also is commentary on race, class and other issues that are relevant in modern times as well. The film is pretty political and hits on all kinds of social issues, but is never preachy or pretentious and brings this to life in a very real and personal manner. Blue Collar is a very overlooked film that deserves more fanfare and a solid work of 70's cinema.
Review of Blue Collar
