Outlook Pete Cooper reviews the new Ken Loach film, Bread and Roses.
Men Loach's latest film Bread and Roses, set in Los Angeles tells (Pilar Padilla, a young illegal Mexican immigrant who becomes drawn into the fight to organise her fellow janitors (cleaners) in la's glass and marble downtown office blocks.
I he story is based on the real ble struggle of mainly Hispanic janitors over the last decade against the poverty level wages on which much of the "prosperity" of the In the opening scenes of the film journey across the Mexican-US border and soon learn that Mava is a resourceful fighter when she loathsome traffickers.
Her sister gets her a janitor's ioh. and sac soon gets lavoica i fac organised by a young union organiser Sam (Adrien Brody).
Their initial encounter where she helps Sam avoids the Office security guards is sheer slapstick. are shown the contempt with which the janitors, mainly women, are treated by the foreman, and the economic structure of their exploitation is explained. We follow their growing confidence and assertiveness, led by the lively Sam in standing up to the multinational bosses.
We are treated to many familiar Loach devices - the authentic docheld camera techniques - the partally unscripted group discussions - the use of unknown and unprofessional actors This mostly works well, but sometimes the inexperienced actors including Padilla herself cannot carry the emotional and dramatic weight of the scenes.
The emotionally charged confrontation between Maya and her For young people who are going to Genoa to protest against the G8 summit and also want the opportunity to find out about revolutionary ideas by meeting with young socialists across Europe, the Fourth International's Youth Summer Camp is the ideal place to be. Hundreds of young people come together for a week of political discussion and debate, but there will also be plenty of time to chat informally and have a good time at the camp, near Rome. - The janitors sister elder sister Rosa (Elpidio Carillo) who reveals that she has nad to work as a prosutute to finance the family is undoubtedly Padilla's contribution to it is weak. along, and initial fears that it is simply going to be a socialist feelgood film about the heroic struggle of the workers, without dramatic tension, are dispelled.
However there is little character development - and with the exception of Rosa, we are left with little illumination of individual motivations. Additionally references to traditions of Latin struggle which form an social and political BACKHODOO Hispanic-American struggle are not developed.
The sexual and racial politics of the film are interesting. Sam, a organiser currently employed by the US unions in their organising drives is a dynamic, resourceful and attractive character.
Maya is in the mould of Loach's recent female protagonists in Land and /teedom and Carias Song -Hispanic, feisty, quick witted, young and beautiful who just happen to fall for white socialist English-speaking men!
While she challenges Sam over an sacking, and she takes the sexual who is politically and organisationally in charge. The radical politics of Loach's film was clearly too much for Philip French The Observr's normally perceptive film critic. leaving aside his ignorance of Loach's politics, suggesting that "he probably had a sneaking regard for Michael Foot (1), French complains "Not for the first time, however, Loach treats all middle-class people with contempt and holds up to ridicule those he regards as class. traitors who serve the capitalist establishment -foremen, the police, bureaucrats. "There are not many characters master in Kes and the understandink parisa prics in sating Stones.... *He is also hostile to the older trade-union officials who disapprove of Sam's theatricality and provocations. Loach, one infers, would rather lose than compromise. "Fabian tactics are anathema to The theme of this year's camp is "Against Capitalist globalisation, globalise our struggles". Forums and workshops on a whole range of related themes will give people the chance to discuss the new movement that has developed from Seattle onwards and what lessons and questions this poses for revolutionary socialists. The cost of the camp will be around £250 which will cover transport to Genoa, transfer to the camp and food for the week. Come and join us! him and the small victories that stem from New Labour and the have flowed from Gore defeating Bush are to him not worth having." It does not seem to occur to French Loach's films are a rate portrayal of Bread and Roses reality than his own class-bound prejudices. Why should these people be portrayed in a sympathetic light tive (and usually individual) behaviours cause suffering to millions of people on a daily basis?
As for his appeal to the virtues of Labour) Mike Davis, writing in Sociali Worker, points out that "The median bousehold income of 30 million US Latinos fell by nearly $3,000 between 1989 and 1996-the biggest loss registered by any ethnic group since the Depression. And in Los Angeles, despite the now faltering "New Economy boom, poverty levels in Latino neighborboods were significantly higher in 1999 (22 percent) than in 1990(15 percent)."
French's point about the virtues : Name--: Address ;E mail Phone [email protected] of trade union officials and Fabianism shows that he has no understanding of the film's main point. Only struggle can be successful and the unspecified "small victories" of New Labour are almost entirely illusory.
One factor in Loach's choice of the LA location to make his film was undoubtedly the absence of struggles such as that of the janitors and any significant victories of any kind in Britain in recent years While the backdrop of Bread and focus is on union organising.
For an examination of the inhu man and dehumanising conse0U0000S080 0 he moving and anger-inducing portrayal or brasa racist cat ment of undocumented immigrants in Pawel Pawlikowski's The Last Resort is to be recommended, providing a stark contrast to the upbeat tone of Bread and Roses.
Bread and Roses is well worth seeing, but you might have diffi culty in finding it. Channel 4 films have only made twenty copies for British distribution and have produced little publicity.
There is no chance of for example which has accompanied the release has a mass audience and where the consequcaces of aco Hoctansm are better understood and resisted. fi am interested in coming to the camp : Please send this form to PO Box 1109, : London N4 2UU or e mail the information to
Outlook
Fourth International SOCIALIST International Youth Summer Camp July 22-28 near Rome