The Devil's Miner (2006)
92 %
Reviews Counted: 25 Fresh: 23 Rotten:2 Average Rating: 7.5/10
Rated: Not Rated
Runtime: 82 mins
Runtime: 82 mins
Theatrical Release: Mar 17, 2006 Limited
Synopsis:
"The Devil's Miner" is the story of 14 year-old Basilio Vargas and his 12 year-old brother Bernardino, as they work in the Bolivian silver mines of Cerro Rico, which date back to the sixteenth century. Through the children's eyes, we encounter the world of devout Catholic miners who sever... [More]
Genre: Education/General Interest
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Reviews
This documentary which exposes the twin evils of child labor and silver mining, is a most powerful expose' of an ongoing, mass-scale human tragedy.
06/16/07 07:19 AM
The flawless progress of this documentary lies in the filmmakers' unwavering fealty to their subjects.
03/01/07 03:47 AM
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11/11/06 06:19 AM
A horror movie? Nope -- documentary. Though there is, I think, a good horror movie to be made here.
10/25/06 12:26 AM
The film has a tendency to repeat itself, even within its short running time of 82 minutes, but is still able to express a sincere sorrow.
07/06/06 02:31 PM
It's a simple film with a direct message, but the glimpses of the surrounding social culture that has adapted to the horrors give (it) its identity.
05/18/06 05:29 PM
It's a testament to the filmmakers' subtle storytelling skill that we come to see these boys as heroes as well as victims.
05/11/06 01:37 PM
Top Critic A role-model of a boy with the great skill to articulate his impressive determination and plan for self-improvement.
04/28/06 04:01 PM
... visually beautiful, unforced essay on legacies of colonialism.
04/27/06 03:24 PM
While political and social context is kept to a minimum, the darkly poetic images they capture speak volumes about what the miners go through.
03/28/06 03:46 PM
Top Critic At times it feels as if not cameras but the audience has been transported to the high mountains of Potosi, Bolivia -- and not so much physically but somehow spiritually.
03/25/06 04:17 AM
Top Critic Basilio narrates his tale with such wit and wisdom that one comes away from the film wondering how much youthful potential is slowly being choked to death deep within the bowels of the earth.
03/17/06 04:32 PM
Guaranteed to leave you outraged at the way children -- and, for that matter, adults -- are exploited by mining companies.
03/17/06 04:25 PM
Top Critic
Directors Kief Davidson and Richard Ladkani go underground themselves to expose a form of near-slavery instituted by the Spanish conquistadors more than four centuries ago.
03/16/06 06:38 PM
Top Critic Kief Davidson and Richard Ladkani's documentary The Devil's Miner is so polished that it might pass for a scripted narrative feature, but that's not a bad thing.
03/15/06 11:28 AM
A sobering day trip, more for its hints of a forgotten history of culture collision than its sensible but rote socioeconomic sympathies.
03/14/06 04:06 PM
Top Critic A study in courage and harrowing portrait of a 14-year-old boy who works in a Bolivian silver mine, The Devil's Miner is an unforgettable journey through hell under the earth, where Satan is worshipped as king.
03/10/06 05:43 PM
Top CriticRelated Forums
(Docu)-THE DEVIL'S MINER gets a dual USA opening in NYC & Chicago on March 17, 2006!!
by: Darko, Donnie 7/14/06
by: Darko, Donnie 7/14/06
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