Rating: 
Summary: SCHRADER'S FIRST
Review: Screenwriter and director Paul Schrader's first effort, BLUE COLLAR was shot in 1977 and takes place in Detroit, city dedicated to one of our modern gods : the Car. Harvey Keitel, Yaphet Kotto and Richard Pryor are blue collars working in one of the churches of the God and they have the usual problems of their fellow companions : money, drugs and alcohol. They plan an hold-up and steal the notebook of the worker's union. Will they be able to handle union bosses, the F.B.I. and the killers sent to kill them ? We have to thank Anchor Bay to give us the opportunity to rediscover BLUE COLLAR, presented in its original format and with the commentary of Paul Schrader. In fact, the director answers the questions of a courageous journalist about the movie because it seems that Schrader is not of the voluble kind. No english subtitles, so if you don't master Shakespeare's language perfectly, you will have some difficulty to follow Pryor's hysterical logorrhea. BLUE COLLAR, in my opinion, is not a masterpiece but deserves to be seen at least once. The social point of the movie isn't the most original one : if you're poor and don't have connections, you better shut up and stay poor. But, we dont have so often the opportunity to watch movies taking place in car factories and Keitel, Pryor and Kotto give excellent performances. So, if you're curious or if you want to know better Paul Schrader who is, after all, one of the most interesting american screenwriters of the last thirty years, give BLUE COLLAR a try. A DVD dedicated to Richard Pryor.
Rating: 
Summary: The "Oreo Gang" fights back
Review: Strapped for cash, three blue collar automotive workers decide to turn the tables on their corrupt union. Zeke (Richard Pryor) is being hounded by the IRS, Jerry (Harvey Keitel) has a daughter in need of braces, and Smokey (Yaphet Kotto) needs to support his wild lifestyle. So they don some dime store disguises and rob the union - but all doesn't end well. Film starts out with uproarious comedy, but then gets dark and serious - and dangerous. The performances (especially Pryor's) are excellent, and Paul Schrader's debut film is definitely worth a look.
Rating:
Summary: The "Oreo Gang" fights back
Review: Strapped for cash, three blue collar automotive workers decide to turn the tables on their corrupt union. Zeke (Richard Pryor) is being hounded by the IRS, Jerry (Harvey Keitel) has a daughter in need of braces, and Smokey (Yaphet Kotto) needs to support his wild lifestyle. So they don some dime store disguises and rob the union - but all doesn't end well. Film starts out with uproarious comedy, but then gets dark and serious - and dangerous. The performances (especially Pryor's) are excellent, and Paul Schrader's debut film is definitely worth a look.
Rating: 
Summary: An in-your-face gem about life on the assembly line!
Review: This 1978 underrated classic is about three autoworkers. There's an honest and gritty realism to this story and the four-letter words and curses have a ring of authenticity to them, especially those of Richard Pryor whose foul language has been compared to raw sewage mixed with social insight. He's cast in the role of Zeke Brown, who owes money to the IRS and struggles to support his wife and three children. Harvey Keitel plays Jerry Bawtowski, who also has trouble meeting his bills and can't even afford braces for his daughter. And Yaphet Kotto, a physically imposing black man who is actually the son of a Cameroonian crown prince, plays the role of Smoky James, an ex-con who throws wild parties with drugs and women which serve as escape for the growing frustration of the men. All three see the union as corrupt and decide to rob the union office. They hope to get a few thousand dollars apiece. Instead they get more than they bargained for and the series of events that follow lead to betrayal, and murder. This is the directional debut for writer/director Paul Shrader, known for writing Taxi Driver, and he does a masterful job. He puts the viewer right there on the assembly line, with the harsh clanging of heavy machinery and the constant pressure of the foreman to work faster and faster. I could almost feel the heat and smell the machine oil and sweat of the workers. Along with the physical labor, there's constant stress and this goes on day after day after day. The subject is serious and the story real but the wisecracks provide comic relief and the story is fast paced and gripping. An excellent blues musical score enhancing the action underscores all this. And all the performances were so good that I forgot they were acting. Eventually, the dramatic unsettling conclusion leaves a lot to think about. I loved this film and give it one of my highest ratings. It's not pleasant or comfortable to watch but it sure is real. And I learned more about the lives of assembly line workers than I ever thought I wanted to know. It's especially poignant seeing it now because Detroit has closed many of these plants since 1978 and this story now has historical perspective. But this tight, riveting story that's an in-your-face gem about life on the assembly line says something important about the American Dream. Don't miss it.
Rating:
Summary: BLUE COLLAR
Review: This little-seen film (hence the reason I'm the first and so far only person to review it) is one of my favorites of the '70s, which would pretty much make it one of my favorites ever since the '70s was the best decade for film ever. After writing successful screenplays for directors like Martin Scorsese and Brian DePalma, Paul Schrader here makes his directorial debut, and it is still his best film to date. It's a searing, knowing drama about the lives of Detroit auto workers, and in it Richard Pryor gives his first dramatic performance. He's brilliant, and Harvey Keitel--no surprise here--matches him. If you'r a fan of filmmakers like Scorsese, you'll like Paul Schrader and this film in particular. Highly reccommended.
Rating:
Summary: A forgotten classic
Review: This movie is an under-rated work of art. If nothing else, it reveals what a powerful dramatic actor Richard Pryor was. He's incredibly realistic and human here (his comedy also draws on this kind of empathy). Indeed, each of the three leads is excellent in their parts. I've never seen a Hollywood movie that touches race and class quite like this one -- it is a true original. Do yourself a favour and rent "Blue Collar" -- it will surprise you in wonderful ways.
Rating:
Summary: Bleak view of Detroit & Unions...
Review: This, Paul Schrader's directoral debut, is a funny and some-times hard-hitting drama of three Detroit auto-workers who have to deal with the problems of money, friends, family, future,and much more while working on "the line". The three main characters (Pryor, Kietel and Kotto) in a desperate need for cash, decide to rip off their own union and steal from the union safe. But instead of finding money, they find an incriminating ledger and from here they have to struggle with the rights and wrongs of what to do, where to turn and whether or not their friendship can sustain these dillema's. The film contains stand-out performances from all three of the leads, which is not surprising having read that Schrader promised each one of them top billing to bind them to a contract and then told 'em it was equal top billing afterwards, obviously causing them to try and act the pants off each other. There is also a good level of detail in their day-to-day lives making the three seem like real characters and not just ciphers for the script. There are some really funny scenes ("What about my locker!!" , the robbery , visit from the IRS etc.), as well as some great drama (the three-way conversation after the party, Kotto and the killers etc). Overall, this is a low-key film with some high-ground ideas that even now ring pretty true. While I enjoyed most of this film there was a bit that reminded me a little bit too much of "Mean Streets" and the ending seemed somewhat forced, though it still ended the film on the right note. As was said elsewhere, definately worth checking out at least once.
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