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Blue Collar

Blue Collar

Drama · Crime · 1978

Fed up with mistreatment at the hands of both management and union brass, and coupled with financial hardships on each man's end, three auto assembly line workers hatch a plan to rob a safe at union headquarters.

Movie details

Blue Collar

“"Blue Collar" is the American Dream. If you're rich, you can buy it. If you're anything else, you gotta fight for it.”

1978 Drama · Crime 1h 54m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.3 / 10

Community rating

Fed up with mistreatment at the hands of both management and union brass, and coupled with financial hardships on each man's end, three auto assembly line workers hatch a plan to rob a safe at union headquarters.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Blue Collar?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Bubble

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Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Paul Schrader

Written by

Leonard Schrader · Paul Schrader

Richard Pryor

Richard Pryor

Ezekiel 'Zeke' Brown

Harvey Keitel

Harvey Keitel

Jerry Bartowski

Yaphet Kotto

Yaphet Kotto

Sam 'Smokey' James

Ed Begley Jr.

Ed Begley Jr.

Bobby Joe

Harry Bellaver

Harry Bellaver

Eddie Johnson

George Memmoli

George Memmoli

Jenkins

Lucy Saroyan

Lucy Saroyan

Arlene Bartowski

Court is in session

Put Blue Collar on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.