Plutocracy

“A masterpiece of documentary filmmaking.”

- Ron Jacobs, Counterpunch

"Absolutely brilliant on numerous levels, Scott Noble’s Plutocracy series is the story of the American working class."

- Sharon Smith, Labor Historian

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3


Part 4


Part 5




“….films with this message are not going to receive press notes in [our] culture’s media. After all, Noble’s films do not feature superheroes, champion imperial war or capitalist con men. Instead, they show the viewer an alternative history; a history of resistance… “…[Plutocracy] is a masterpiece of documentary filmmaking. Even a detached viewer (like a student in a required high school or college history class) will find themselves emotionally and intellectually involved as the essence of the film reveals itself.”
Ron Jacobs
Counterpunch
“Meticulously researched…absolutely brilliant on numerous levels, Scott Noble’s Plutocracy series is the story of the American working class. It is also the story of the brutal repression American workers have suffered in their courageous struggle for human rights, dignity, and in some cases – revolution. Bringing an unapologetically pro-working-class viewpoint to his analysis, Noble vividly dramatizes entire epochs in American history, paying special attention to the ways in which workers have been ‘divided and conquered’ according to race, sex, skill and other attributes. The series also explores a number of highly inspiring episodes whereby everyday people struggled and triumphed against all odds. I look forward to the day when the Plutocracy series will become part of the historical education available to every new member of the labor movement, to teach the next generation of activists the lessons of our history, and to arm them for the future.”
Sharon Smith
Labor Historian, Author Subterranean Fire: A History of Working Class Radicalism in the United States
“Remarkable…Meticulous research, powerful visuals, and interviews with a broad range of dedicated labor historians. Truly ‘untold stories’, but stories we should know.”
Peter Rachleff
Professor of History, Macalister University
“Very much in keeping with the tone of Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States, Plutocracy depicts history from the bottom up. The saccharine and overly ideological textbook version of this era--especially the birth of the U.S.--is nowhere to be found in this series…Full of powerful images…Highly recommended, Plutocracy contributes a much-needed dose of dynamism to our understanding of how U.S. capitalism evolved.”
Ruth Hurley
Socialist Worker
“Brilliant…fascinating…Inspirational.”
Kim Peterson
Dissident Voice
“The Plutocracy series is a sobering, compelling and inspiring look at U.S. history from the bottom up, centered around the fiery struggles of the working class and the downtrodden…In the best tradition of Howard Zinn and other ‘people's histories'…Shows us that workers are capable of heroism under the seemingly worst of circumstances…Highly recommended.”
Tim Goulet
Union organizer, Teamsters Local 810
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