Blue Collar, written and directed by Paul Schrader - 8.6 out of 10

Blue Collar, written and directed by Paul Schrader
8.6 out of 10


Blue Collar is included on The New York Times' Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made list.

The motion picture is interesting, even if it was released in 1978 and it may seem unusual, maybe dated on some levels.
Zeke aka Richard Pryor is a friend of Jerry aka Harvey Keitel and Smokey aka Yaphet Kotto.

They all have financial problems, Zeke is visited by an IRS official who wants to know about the six children he had declared, he has fewer, and other details connected with his taxes.
While the tax man makes his inquiry, Zeke's wife manages to borrow some children from a neighbor, so that they can pass them for their own.

Nevertheless, the IRS man is calculating back taxes, interest and states that this would mean a few thousand dollars or maybe over one hundred thousand in today's currency to pay.

Where will I get that kind of money?! Asks an aggrieved, downcast Zeke.

His white friend Jerry has money problems of his own.
One day, he talks with his daughter and sees that she has tried to do something to her teeth, with terrible, painful results.

His wife explains that the girl has tried to make some braces with wire, for they have no money to pay for a professional fixture.

Meanwhile, in the car factory where all three friends work, there are some issues with the labor union, the boss, problems that are not solved.
Zeke is unhappy with his labor union representative and therefore talks to a higher placed Union organizer.

Only as he visits this union office, he sees that they seem to be having money around, or so he thinks.
Thus, the three amigos try to organize a heist.

It is rather comical.
They get some Halloween masks, while their getaway car is more of a jalopy that what we see today in Fast and Furious 54.

When they get in, the area they think would be hard to access is actually unlocked.
Alas, while they look around, a policeman walks in and they have to kick him in the head.

Now the problem is there are no money!
There may be hope, for they do find a small safe.

All they can find when they open it is about eight hundred dollars.
But again there is hope, for the union officials report that over ten thousand dollars are missing, then they talk about twenty thousand.

This is a clear indication that something is wrong.
Then there is a ledger, a book that could constitute proof if law enforcement agencies get hold of it.

Will blackmail work?
It might, but there could be some victims.