Drama
United States of America
The film is set in the early 1900s in a small mining town in South Wales. The story follows the Morgan family, headed by the stern patriarch Gwilym and his gentle wife Beth. They have several sons who are all working in the local coal mines, including the youngest, Huw, who is the film's narrator.
The film depicts the struggles and hardships faced by the mining families, who work long hours in dangerous and dirty conditions. It also shows the tight-knit community that forms in such places, as well as the conflicts that arise when the workers begin to organize and demand better treatment.
Huw's story involves his education and his relationship with a local girl named Angharad, the daughter of a wealthy mine owner who represents the class divide that exists in the town. The drama culminates in a violent strike, in which Gwilym's harsh treatment of the striking workers leads to tragedy and conflict within the family.
The film won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for John Ford. It was praised for its evocative portrait of a vanishing way of life, and for its powerful performances by a cast that included Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O'Hara, and a young Roddy McDowall as Huw.
