“North Country” Directed by Niki Caro Warner
Bros.
In 1975, the first women were hired in northern Minnesota iron
mines. By 1989, men still outnumbered women 30 to one. Josey Aimes
was the one in the ratio. Based on the book “Class
Action” by Clara Bingham and Laura Leedy Gansler,
“Whale Rider” director Niki Caro’s “North
Country” is a fictionalized account of the first class-action
sexual harassment law suit in America, elicited by the treatment of
women in Minnesota iron mines. Male mine workers continually told
female miners that they were stealing men’s jobs, made crude
remarks, and occasionally groped them. Most of the women chose to
ignore their coworkers’ actions in order to keep their
paychecks, realizing that working in a man’s world often
meant sacrificing self-respect for job security. Josey, however, is
unwilling to accept gender discrimination and obscene harassment.
After an unsuccessful meeting with the head of her company, she
finds a lawyer willing to take the revolutionary case and sue the
mine. A poignant, untold tale, the personal story of “North
Country” hinges on its cast. And led by Charlize Theron, they
successfully carry the picture. Coming off her physically
transforming Oscar win for “Monster” in 2003, Theron
continues to impress. She plays the bewildered Josey with absolute
poise, often simultaneously revealing emotional weakness and
strength of character. Oscar winner Frances McDormand’s
character of Glory, a long-lost friend who introduces Josey to the
world of mining, is provocative and beautiful. Meanwhile, the
rising Michelle Monaghan leads a diverse cast of female miners,
each afraid to speak out for her own reason. Josey’s parents,
acted by the sterling Richard Jenkins and Sissy Spacek, perfectly
embody the conservative social environment of the 1980s Midwest.
Though the ending is inevitably predictable, the film’s
script attempts to limit its feel-good, heroic cliches. And though
the story is not always exciting, the non-linear, flashback-driven
plotline successfully keeps boredom at bay. While “North
Country” is very well done, more importantly it is a
testament to the shift of Hollywood films toward more
thought-provoking works. Between the landscape shots of the
snow-covered iron mine, Josey makes history. She sets a precedent
for gender equality and sexual harassment codes all across America.
Thus, “North Country” joins the pack of well-made,
socially relevant period pieces dominating the recent film market.
Like George Clooney’s acclaimed “Good Night, and Good
Luck.” and Marc Levin’s “Protocols of
Zion,” this film speaks not only to historical relevancy, but
to fundamental human decency. And no doubt to the Oscar committee
as well.