The Film
Equal pay for female workers is a poignant theme still as relevant today as it was in 1968 working class England as we see in Made in Dagenham. The movie follows the union strike of 187 female factory workers in Dagenham, England. A town propped up by a Ford factory where husbands and wives spend their days in the factory making cars for the big Detroit auto manufacturer.
Dagenham is a biopic and stays true to the story. It isn't filled with the stylized England of the late 1960s peppered with mods, instead it follows the striking workers on a tour to auto plants around England to get other female workers to join the cause.
The Picture
The print for Made in Dagenham, presented in 2.35:1 aspect ratio in 1080p high definition, is technically very clean. There are no distracting artifacts or other flaws. The color palette is slightly faded to portray the period and setting. In some scenes the color takes on a near sepia-toned look, in others you can almost feel the rays of the sun on a bright hot summer day.
The Sound
The film portrays life in a factory and other settings with appropriate sound. The roar of industrial sewing machines continues until the supervisor comes in and someone yells "man" so they can all button up their dresses that were stripped due to heat. When the women first strike, it's appropriately quiet in front of the factory gates in the lonely area.
A collection of music from the period plays throughout the movie, though sparingly. The music is used more when music would normally be played, such as at a party or similar setting. It's not used to play over montages or to transition from one scene to the next. As it's played in real-life settings, the sound comes across as it would through the radio or stereo in 1968.
The Extras
A modest number of extras compliment Made in Dagenham. An audio commentary from Director Nigel Cole is used to discuss the real history behind the story, shooting locations and budget issues experienced while filming. The Making of Made in Dagenham includes interviews with the cast and crew that gives background to the story and the plight of the 187 factory workers who got equal wages for women in unions. Deleted scenes, an outtakes montage and the theatrical trailer balance out the bonus materials. It's not overwhelming, but probably appropriate for the film.
Final Thoughts
Made in Dagenham enlightens viewers to an oft forgotten moment in history. It does so in an entertaining way and doesn't preach for or against unions rather providing a fairly objective account of what happened in 1968. At one point a character named Lisa Hopkins (Rosamund Pike) tells the lead character Rita O'Grady (Sally Hawkins) that it excited her to read about people making history when she studied at Oxford. She asks Rita to tell her what it felt like to achieve her own goals, becoming one of those history-makers. This film is, primarily, Rita and her colleagues telling the world this story: what happened and how it felt. And it translates well to the Blu-ray format. Definitely worth watching.
Product Details
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