In 2010, eyes across the globe turned to Chile. A one-hundred-year-old mine had collapsed and trapped thirty-three men beneath the surface of the earth. After five years, the story of those thirty three has made it to cinemas, featuring performances from Antonio Banderas, Cote de Pablo and Gabriel Byrne.
There is something very satisfying about the narrative. In the first place it’s a triumph over adversity, a long-standing trope of populist cinema. More subtle, however, is the plot in its overall shape. What the miners experience can be said to consist of entrapment, endurance, escape, for which we might easily supplant the words beginning, middle and an end.
There is an added pressure for the film to deliver as it draws on historical events from the recent past, however final judgments will hopefully be kept at bay until the film’s release.
The 33 will be in cinemas on November 13.
Will you be seeing The 33 when it’s released? Let us know in the comments!
