NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Criterion Blu-ray (October 2019): John Sayles' "Matewan" has been transferred to dual-layered Blu-ray from Criterion via a "New 4K digital restoration, supervised by director John Sayles". The 1.85:1 1080p HD image thankfully holds a solid contrast, without any crushing blacks during the coal mine sequences. The film is accompanied by a high bitrate, maintaining the integrity of the image. Oh and what an image. Haskell Wexler's lensing and golden hued lighting is something to behold. Candlelight gives a realistic warm glow, with green and blue hues effectively portraying the cold West Virginia surroundings. The costumes and sets have a very worn-in look to them. The level of sharp detail comes into focus when characters are foregrounded against the darkness. Superb image quality, as to be expected from the likes of Criterion.

Criterion have wisely included an uncompressed 24-bit linear PCM 1.0 mono track for the Blu-ray. The mono track nails the various sounds while also showcasing the harmonica-based bluegrass music. That music in the film is thanks to frequent John Sayles collaborator, Mason Daring. Also of note is the bluegrass singer Hazel Dickens. The music (at sometimes diegetic, with the musicians playing on screen) is yet another selling point of the film, as if there weren't enough. There are optional English subtitles on this Region 'A' Blu-ray from Criterion.

There are a handful of insightful and extensive extras on this Blu-ray from Criterion. First up is an audio commentary (recorded in 2013) featuring director John Sayles and cinematographer Haskell Wexler. The two are naturally brilliant and I look forward to listening to the rest of this track over the next few days. Criterion also has two new beautifully produced half-hour documentaries (really one hour-long documentary split in two) that shine a light on the production and essence of the film. The first is entitled "Union Dues". Sayles explainins here that where normally a film centered around the Union would naturally climax with a strike (ala Norma Rae) yet his picture follows the 'gunfight westerns' with an every escalating series of confrontations leading to a shootout. Producer Maggie Renzi discusses working with an impressive budget (though she admits that the exact number is hard to pin down, though it is around 3 million) along with location scouting (with the actual Matewan being too modernized for the period piece). Renzi also describes getting the crew from "Brother from Another Planet" (though swapping out the young cinematographer, Ernest Dickerson for the seasoned Wexler.) Production designer Nora Chavooshian also discusses the location, as well as creating a sense that the sets and costumes looked appropriately grungy and worn-down. Mary McDonnell recalls an interesting story regarding Cinematographer Haskell Wexler's on-the-fly ingenuity when lighting a certain scene. The next documentary on the Blu-ray is "Sacred Words", beginning with Producer Maggie Renzi correctly stating that the acting in the film is phenomenal, without improvisation (which Renzi claims is overrated, with good-writing being underrated). Musician and actor Will Oldham also describes how Danny's sermons flow as if they are improvised, thanks to Sayles' talent for writing authentic dialogue. Oldham, it seems, was found at the local actors theatre of Louisville, KY. These two exceptional documentaries go farther than your average talking-heads surface-scratching featurettes, with everyone involved discussing deeper themes and motivations. Truly worth watching, for fans of the film. "The Music of Matewan" is a 2019 interview with composer Mason Daring. Daring talks of his score and the musicians that perform in the film. "Production Design" is another 2019 Criterion-produced interview, this time with production designer Nora Chavooshian explaining how she acheived the look of Matewan on a limited budget, this piece also shows her collection of preproduction materials. "Them That Work" is a short documentary made by Jason Brown, a professor of media studies at Valdosta State University. Brown is born and raised in West Virginia. When he met producer Maggie Renzi years back, she encouraged him to capture the West Virginia locations and faces of Matewan. The documentary also explores the impact that the production of "Matewan" had on West Virginians. The film's trailer rounds out a handful of exceptional extras on this Blu-ray.

"Matewan" captures the labor union battles in mining country the way William Faulkner wrote about Yoknapatawpha County (albeit fictional, it was a stand in for Lafayette, Mississippi). With John Sayles writing and directing, Haskell Wexler cinematography, and a true who's who of top-tier character actors, this is essential viewing. The real standout is a young Will Oldham, (who would eventually grow up to be this writer's favorite musician). Surely one of my favorite Criterion Blu-ray releases of the year. 

Colin Zavitz