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Movies / On DVD / The Devil's Miner
The Devil's Miner

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The Devil's Miner (2006)

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92 %
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Reviews Counted: 25

Fresh: 23

Rotten:2

Average Rating: 7.5/10

Rated: Not Rated

Runtime: 82 mins

Genre: Musical & Performing Arts

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... "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 their ties with God upon entering the mountain. It is an ancient belief that the devil, as represented by hundreds of statues constructed in the tunnels, determines the fate of all who work within the mines. Raised without a father and living in virtual poverty with their mother on the slopes of the mine, the boys assume many adult responsibilities. They must work to afford the clothing and supplies vital to their education. Basilio believes only the mountain devil's generosity will allow them to earn enough money to continue the new school year. Without an education, the brothers have no chance to escape their destiny in the silver mines. --© Emerging Pictures [More]

Director: Kief Davidson, Richard Ladkani

Director: Kief Davidson, Richard Ladkani
Studio: First Run Features

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Release:

May 23, 2006

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Reviews for The Devil's Miner

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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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.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Bay View | comment Comment
06/16/07
Kam Williams
San Francisco Bay View

The flawless progress of this documentary lies in the filmmakers' unwavering fealty to their subjects.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
03/01/07
Maria Garcia
Film Journal International
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Nation | comment Comment
11/11/06
Stuart Klawans
Nation

A horror movie? Nope -- documentary. Though there is, I think, a good horror movie to be made here.

Full Review Source: LYTRules.com | comment Comment
10/25/06
Luke Y. Thompson
LYTRules.com

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.

Full Review Source: Window to the Movies | comment Comment
07/06/06
Jeffrey Chen
Window to the Movies

A mesmerizing documentary both exotic and sad.

Full Review Source: Seattle Times | comment Comment
05/19/06
Tom Keogh
Seattle Times

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.

Full Review Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer | comment Comment
05/18/06
Sean Axmaker
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

It's a testament to the filmmakers' subtle storytelling skill that we come to see these boys as heroes as well as victims.

Full Review Source: Capital Times (Madison, WI) | comment Comment
05/11/06
Rob Thomas
Capital Times (Madison, WI)

This is social documentary at its best.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
04/28/06
Carina Chocano
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A role-model of a boy with the great skill to articulate his impressive determination and plan for self-improvement.

Full Review Source: Cinema Signals | comment Comment
04/28/06
Jules Brenner
Cinema Signals

... visually beautiful, unforced essay on legacies of colonialism.

Full Review Source: L.A. Weekly | comment Comment
04/27/06
Ernest Hardy
L.A. Weekly

While political and social context is kept to a minimum, the darkly poetic images they capture speak volumes about what the miners go through.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
03/28/06
Frank Scheck
Hollywood Reporter
Top Critic Icon 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.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
03/25/06
Kim Williamson
Boxoffice Magazine

This beautiful, terrible story is not easily forgotten.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | comment Comment
03/22/06
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly
Top Critic Icon 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.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
03/17/06
Ken Fox
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Guaranteed to leave you outraged at the way children -- and, for that matter, adults -- are exploited by mining companies.

Full Review Source: New York Post | comment Comment
03/17/06
V.A. Musetto
New York Post
Top Critic Icon 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.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
03/16/06
Jeannette Catsoulis
New York Times
Top Critic Icon 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.

Full Review Source: AV Club | comment Comment
03/15/06
Tasha Robinson
AV Club

A sobering day trip, more for its hints of a forgotten history of culture collision than its sensible but rote socioeconomic sympathies.

Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment Comment
03/14/06
Village Voice
Top Critic Icon 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.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
03/10/06
Deborah Young
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
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