Made in Dagenham
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics
Year: 2010
Rated: R
Program Length: 113 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 1080p
Languages: English 5.1 DTS-HD MA
Subtitles: English, English SDH, Spanish
The Program
Everybody out! - the call for a work stoppage
A few months ago collective bargaining was not exactly a common topic of conversation at the dinner table. That changed with the tumultuous events which have taken place in Wisconsin, where Governor Scott Walker and the Republican-controlled legislature decided that the state's financial condition necessitated having state employees forfeit most of their collective bargaining rights. As this country's economy has become less dependent upon blue-collar industries such as manufacturing, the influence of labor unions has declined to the point where now only 11.9% of the labor force is unionized. Less than two decades ago more than 20% of American workers were union members.
With the issue of collective bargaining now back in the news, Sony has chosen a fortuitous time to release Made in Dagenham, based upon a real labor dispute which rocked England in 1968. At that time the Ford auto manufacturing plant in Dagenham employed 55,000 men and 187 women. The women machinists were responsible for sewing the seat covers for the Ford vehicles which were being made and assembled at the factory. In 1968 Ford decided to reclassify the women's jobs as "unskilled," which rankled the workers. Through the union the women filed a protest, but Ford executives ignored them. With the encouragement of their local union representative, Abert Passingham (Bob Hoskins), the women then decide to take "industrial action" - a refusal to work overtime and a one-day work stoppage.
The Ford women work in fairly wretched conditions. They have no air conditioning and the roof leaks when it rains, but their only real complaint is having their job descriptions downgraded. Although the male workers at Ford had gone on strike before, there had never been a work action by the women. When management hears about the threatened work stoppage, they call for a meeting with the union representatives. Passingham asks Connie (Geraldine James), the shop steward, to accompany him, but he wants to have two women along. Most of the women are reluctant to go, but Passingham wisely selects Rita O'Grady (Sally Hawkins). Rita has never considered herself to be a leader, but she is smart and reasonably self-assured. When the meeting takes place, Ford's management takes a dismissive and condescending approach to the women's grievances. Almost in spite of herself, Rita finds herself speaking her mind to the management team and making it clear that she will not be easily intimidated.
Returning to the plant after this most unsatisfactory meeting, Rita reports to the women workers and they vote to immediately walk off the job. Ford is surprised but unshaken by this development. The company responds by sending a condescending reprimand to the women, believing that would be the end of it. Instead of being cowed, the women are insulted and vote to immediately go on strike. At the same time, they up the ante - not only do they want their job descriptions restored, they now demand equal pay with the male machinists. Initially the women are supported by their husbands, most of whom also work for Ford. However, as the days pass the factory begins to run short on seat covers, and without seat covers they cannot finish building the cars which are coming off the assembly lines. Eventually it reaches the point where no more cars can be built, and the Dagenham factory shuts down. This development puts considerable financial and emotional strain on the relationship between Rita and her husband, Eddie (Daniel Mays).
Along the way Rita develops an unlikely friendship with Lisa Hopkins (Rosamund Pike), a highly-educated woman who chafes in her role as the housewife of a Ford executive. In the meantime, the strike and its economic impact come to the attention of the British government in the person of Barbara Castle (Miranda Richardson), the Secretary of State for Employment. The strike proceeds with many interesting twists and turns, including the very real possibility that the full union will drop its support for the women. In the meantime, Ford's home office in Detroit decides to send one of its most ruthless labor negotiators, Robert Tooley (Richard Schiff) to England to break the strike.
Made in Dagenham is a fascinating look at a largely forgotten but pivotal moment in the history of labor relations, particular in regard to the treatment of female workers. The engaging cast is led by a remarkable performance from Sally Hawkins as Rita. Others whose outstanding performances in Made in Dagenham led to nominations for various British film awards include Bob Hoskins, Miranda Richardson and Rosamund Pike. The film is briskly directed by Nigel Cole. Viewers who currently have a negative attitude toward labor unions may find themselves reconsidering their position after watching this remarkable film.
The Video
The 2.35:1 1080p Blu-ray transfer is a typically superb Sony presentation. The images are highly detailed, colors are consistently accurate, contrasts are strong and shadow detail is excellent. The filmmakers have expertly integrated some vintage period footage, including the opening credits, with clips taken from promotional films of the sixties. The picture appears to properly framed and has a satisfying, film-like appearance. It is unlikely that Made in Dagenham looked better than this during its theatrical run.
The Audio
The lossless 5.1 DTS-HD MA audio is excellent. Dialogue is mostly confined to the center channel and is generally clear, although viewers who have occasional problems deciphering British accents may want to take advantage of the English subtitles. The musical soundtrack is given a pleasing soundstage and makes good use of period songs such as "Wooly Bully" by Sam the Sham & The Pharoahs, "Sunday Will Never Be the Same" by Spanky & Our Gang, and "Green Tambourine" by The Lemon Pipers. The surround channels are used primarily to produce effective ambient sounds.
The Supplements
This extras on this Blu-ray disc are fairly skimpy. They include a generally interesting and informative commentary track by director Nigel Cole.
A 13-minute featurette has the somewhat misleading title "The Making of Made in Dagenham." It gives the director and several cast members the opportunity to talk about the real strike, its historical significance, and its relevance today, but it spends very little time demonstrating how the film was made. It is more along the lines of a promotional featurette and runs for approximately 13 minutes.
Also included are eight deleted scenes, some of which are very brief. One of the deleted scenes helps to flesh out the relationship between the shop steward, Connie, and her ill husband. Two minutes of outtakes provide the usual gamut of bloopers, a couple of which are mildly amusing.
Sony also has included the film's theatrical trailer, as well as previews of Another Year, Barney's Version, The Illusionist, and Inside Job. BD-Live features will be enabled on the release date.
The Packaging
The single Blu-ray disc is packaged in a standard Blu-ray keep case.
The Final Analysis
Sony has become a leader in releasing small but highly-entertaining independent films, and Made in Dagenham is a welcome addition to Sony's film library. It boasts a fascinating story and an extremely talented and appealing cast. Recent events in the United States also have served to make it surprisingly relevant.
Equipment used for this review:
Panasonic DMP-BD50 Blu-ray player
Panasonic Viera TC-P46G15 Plasma display, calibrated to THX specifications by Gregg Loewen
Yamaha HTR-5890 THX Surround Receiver
BIC Acoustech speakers
Interconnects: Monster Cable
Release Date: March 29, 2011
