The Molly Maguires

The Molly Maguires

By Martin Ritt

  • Genre: Drama
  • Release Date: 1970-01-27
  • Advisory Rating: PG
  • Runtime: 2h 4min
  • Director: Martin Ritt
  • Production Company: Tamm Productions
  • Production Country: United States of America
  • iTunes Price: USD 9.99
  • iTunes Rent Price: USD 3.99
6.3/10
6.3
From 70 Ratings

Description

The Molly Maguires was a secret society of militant coal miners who battled their exploitation by mine owners with violence, intimidation... and sometimes murder. Based on actual events, this gripping story is a sympathetic and accurate account of the Irish-American miners' struggle. Richard Harris (Gladiator, Camelot) plays a detective on undercover assignment for the owners, fighting his own conscience. Academy Award®–winner Sean Connery (Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade, The Untouchables) is the tough and suspicious leader of the Mollies who repeatedly tests the newcomer's loyalty. Excellent photography and fine action scenes add to the realism of this vivid social drama.

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Reviews

  • The Mollies

    1
    By buckeyejohn
    As a decendent of Jack Kehoe. I can only say that the family sees this movie as siding unfairly with the mine owners. Very biased one sided movie.
  • Bravely Explores Moral Grey Areas

    5
    By haceldama
    I want to start by pointing out that one of the previous reviews made an error in saying that Connery's character was the undercover Pinkerton agent -- it's actually Richard Harris's character who is the agent. (Aside from that error, I agree completely with the review.) When the film came out in 1970, a lot of reviewers severely criticized the film because it refused to take sides, but that is *precisely* what makes it such a memorable experience -- that it bravely explores moral grey areas and leaves it up to the viewer to decide who was right and who was wrong. Connery and Harris are both superb (as is the entire cast), the photography creates powerful and mesmerizing images, the script is literate and smary, packed with excellent dialogue, and Martin Ritt's direction is among his finest and mosat passionate. The sequence where the miners raid the company store will have you both cheering and wincing with dread. Regardless of whether or not you side with the Pinkertons or the miners, what cannot be denied is that this is one ofthe best films ever made about labor in America.
  • A great, nearly forgotten historical drama starting great actors of our time...

    5
    By Jaress
    I just bought this movie for my collection, though I've watched it many times since it's release many years ago (long before 2004). This movie pits Richard Harris and Sean Connery in an American struggle between the rising Industral Robber Barons and the working man. Historically, the character Connery plays, James McParlan (not the name used in this move, as he IS undercover), a young untested Pinkerton agent in this tale, made his name in this escapade and rose to the top of the Pinkerton's due to his remarkable under cover work during his investigation of the Mollies. McParlan later played very important roles in shaping the future of the legendary Pinkertons in truth and tales of the Old West - stuff of legend. Besides the historical value, this movie brings all of the drama of a true tragedy. It's an undiscovered classic that anyone who loves a well acted, well written and well directed, suspenseful tale shouldn't miss. A real sleeper waiting for you to discover.

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