The Killing Floor 1984 Film

The killing floor is a 1984 american award winning made for television drama film directed by bill duke which highlights the plights of workers fighting to build an interracial labor union in the meatpacking industry in the years leading up to the chicago race riot of 1919.

The killing floor 1984 film.

Bill duke s directorial debut is ripe for the classroom tv wheel in late in the semester. After landing a job at one of the. The killing floor 1984 film movement 118 min usa dir. The film debuted on pbs via the american playhouse series on april 10 1984 and was produced by public forum productions an independent company founded by the film s writer elsa rassbach.

The 1984 made for tv movie has been digitally restored and is now available on streaming. The film was released on dvd in sweden by noble entertainment on march 14 2007. Storyline during world war i a poor black southerner travels north to chicago to get work in the city s slaughterhouses where he becomes embroiled in the organized labor movement. Bill duke bill duke s feature debut which premiered on pbs american playhouse series in 1984 to rave reviews tells the little known true story of the struggle to build an interracial labor union in the chicago stockyards.

Duke made the killing floor for pbs and it definitely has a tv movie feel and approach to narration. Written by karl williams. The killing floor looks to union organizing by chicago s slaughterhouse workers during world war i. He becomes prominent as a leader of fellow african americans in the union though many including his best friend view him as a sell out.

Bill duke s first feature the killing floor from 1984 a digital release from film forum displays an ingenious approach to the matter bringing a straightforward story and a distinct. The region 1 dvd rights have been acquired by thinkfilm with a direct to dvd release of january 8 2008. The teleplay was later adapted by le.