One of the greatest French period films based on the novel by Emile Zola. I drop into mining movie themes at the drop of a hat as you know and this ranks as perhaps the best. One day someone like Ken Loach will make a movie about the strikes in and around Radstock - in the meantime this will have to do. Talking of owing your soul to the company store in 16 tons made me think of this film - the shopkeeper allows the women to have 'tick' in return for sex - you'll be glad to hear he gets castrated by an angry mob if my memory serves me well. During strikes Radstock Co-op set the price of items like bread and kept the prices the same throughout the strikes.