In 1954, at the height of McCarthyism and the Cold War, blacklisted filmmakers joined together to create the controversial labor film Salt of the Earth, despite strong oppposition from a fearful Hollywood and the U.S. government. A CRIME TO FIT THE PUNISHMENT investigates the background and political atmosphere surrounding the production of the film, and movingly chronicles the filmmakers' defiance of the blacklist.

Interviews with the actors and clips from Salt of the Earth - which presciently championed the rights of workers, minorities, and women - are interwoven with newsreel and broadcast footage from the 50s, creating a fascinating examination of the relationship between film and politics.

"This documentary and 'Salt' itself stand as stand as monuments to the spirit of resistance that animated those involved." —Larry Ceplair, Cineaste

"The argument CRIME presents is well documented and convincing, occasionally funny, and often moving." —Peter Ross, Detroit News

"Strokes as tough and bold as those of a mural by Orozco... The film pulsates with a feeling of actuality..." —San Francisco Chronicle