Sub terra (2003) User Reviews

Great environment setting, not-so-crappy-as-they-say storyline

[Sennin · 6/10 · 9 February 2004]

Whenever an adaptation of a book takes place in the film industry, the first thing everybody does is to compare it with the source. This applies even more if the book happens to be one of the main exponents of the XIXth century homeland's literature. From this starting point, the one big criticism this movie gets is that it tries to comprehend every aspect of the book (which, by the way is a compilation of short stories, that, if not completely disconnected one of another, they stand alone as independent stories), with all the subsequent lack of profundity that this means. But, what these people do not take into consideration, and may justify until certain point this superfluous treatment, is that the movie is not a direct reference to the tales, but some sort of evocation to the composition context. In deed, inside the movie plot, the author of the book, Mr. Baldomero Lillo, is a character and (spoiler?) is writing the shortstories at that time. This would make the movie not to be a rigorous borrowing of the events narrated in the book, but, in the opposite, a kind of explanation of the events from which the author took the basis to write his stories. Under this point of view, there is no reason why the movie should be as deep as the book, as it may focus on a more historical distance. For the actors performances, watch out for Mr. Noguera and Mr. Reyes, because they do a very good job. The strong side of the movie is, anyway, the setting. All the details were taken care of in order to achieve a realistic environment,where the situation lived by the coalminers and the Cousiño family was lively reflected.

Simply bad

[chogno98 · 3/10 · 5 October 2005]

As other posters have commented the movie is simply a bad movie, and in my view it is due to the direction not being up to the challenge.

There are just so many things wrong about it. Let's just mention a couple: How could they not include a shot inside the mine's elevator, to convey its depth and danger? Even the music languishes through the entire story, it has no theme. Not to mention that terrible, out-of-tune song for the final credits, totally out of context.

If they cut the movie up in little pieces it would make a pretty good soap opera. But a film? This is not.

Fortunately it is not a reflection of Chilean cinema. Don't miss "Machuca", or "La Fiebre del Loco" if you can find it.

Great Chili Mining Story

[whpratt1 · 10/10 · 15 September 2006]

Greatly enjoyed viewing this fantastic portrayal of a rich man who owns a Coal Mine and treats the miners as slaves with low wages and poor working conditions. This rich man puts Ernesto Malbran, (Mister Davis)as foreman who brutalizes the men and even kills them if they ever think about having a Miners Association, or type of union. Francisco Reyes,(Fernando),"Docteur Chance",'97 grew up in the mine and lost his own father while he was working deep down below in Hell. Paulina Galvez,(Virginia),"Face of Terror",'03 was a former girl friend of Fernando and their romances is renewed as she returns to Lota, Chili to teach in the local school. Virginia and Fernando burn up the bedroom and bed sheets in quite a few scenes and they also look great dancing together. The story of Coal Miners is true in every country in this world, they are never given the true wages they deserve or the safe working conditions, lets hope things improve in the 21st Century. Good Film to Enjoy Watching.

Disappointing

[RandomGuy-2 · 2/10 · 23 November 2004]

Very little Chilean film is readily available in the US on DVD, which is a shame, and I truly hope that most Chilean films are better than this one. I don't want to say that it was bad in every aspect. Certainly, the photography was strong, as was the setting. Close attention was paid to wardrobe, and I would say that the results in this area were fantastic.

It's a terrible shame, then, that the writing and acting were so poor, especially the writing. The story of the miners in Lota is an important story that deserves dignity. I was hoping that this movie would be along the lines of Matewan, which is an excellent American film that has almost the exact same storyline as Sub Terra, reflecting similarities in aspects of our nations' histories. Sadly, the writing and acting in Sub Terra were much more similar to that of a soap opera, or perhaps an ABC Afterschool Special or a movie produced by Hallmark. Dialogue was predictable and sophomoric, characters were one dimensional, and the level of over sentimentality from the actors was just terribly uncomfortable to watch.

In short, avoid this film.

good art direction, bad movie

[juancarlosrodriguezpavez · 4 November 2003]

this movie is the last Chile's movie , and try to relive the past, in Lota a miners town at the 19's century. The direction of art, is good, excellent recreation, good dresses, and a aceptable photo. The problem there is in the script, is simple and predictable, and that does not manage to take to the people to the magic travel of every film.

A good film about labor conditions in Chilean mining

[eabakkum · 8/10 · 23 October 2010]

The Chilean film Subterra is a good contribution to the global collection of films about labor conditions in mining. By now I have seen a handful, and this one aptly depicts the poverty and primitive circumstances at the private coal mine in Lota. I like the sketch of the local atmosphere, including the accompanying Latin music (classic guitar etc.). It is 1897, and the power of the landowners is still unlimited. They control the army and even the judicial system. This is a clear distinction with Europe, which at that time already had a liberal system of individual judicial (not political) rights. The landowners employ an agent (mr. Davis, a "gringo") to rule the mine and do the dirty exploitation, so that they themselves can pretend to be good Samaritans. The miners want to organize, but they fear the violent revenge of Davis. An old miner organizes regular secret meetings, and strongly advocates the official formation of a miners association. He is a typical union man: right-minded and persevering. However the miners are still in resignation and a drunkard Fernando disturbs the deliberation. In addition there is a traitor among the miners, who in exchange for money briefs the meetings to Davis. In order to intimidate the organizers, Davis transfers one of them to a dangerous and notorious gallery, called the Chifon. Indeed a gas explosion occurs, killing the organizer. Life is so hopeless, that his desperate mother throws herself into a shaft. The events trigger the passions in Fernando, and he sets out to realize the association. He asks the help of the local shop clerk in order to write the request to the notary. This clerk is employed by the mine owner, who uses the truck system. However, the clerk sympathizes with the miners, and even writes a book about their abject living conditions. This part of the film is apparently authentic, since at the time such a book has actually been published. The landowner dies from tuberculosis, and his wife takes over his affairs. She has a goddaughter, named Virginia, who studies in Spain. Virginia returns to Lota, and turns out to be a youth friend of Fernando. Soon the passions between them awaken, which further convinces Fernando to make out his case. The miners march to the landowners wife, and offer a petition with demands for better working conditions (especially less hours). The landowners wife is willing to consider the demands, but nevertheless orders the captain of the local militia to imprison Fernando. Really, it is as simple as that! Virginia is persuaded by her godmother to return to Spain, which leaves the passionate Fernando heartbroken. In addition, the old union man reveals, that Fernandos father was murdered by Davis during an earlier attempt to organize the miners. Here it is obvious that film director Marcelo Ferrari is searching for some extra drama in order to make Subterra more palatable to the audience. In short, Davis is sacked by the landowners wife, and in rage enters the Chifon, where Fernando is working. It just happens that there is again a gas leakage, and Fernando causes a deliberate explosion, killing both himself and Davis. Virginia soon returns to Lota, but it is too late to save the love of her life. However, the Lota miners association has been established. In the concluding title-part we are informed that the Lota mine was soon socialized, and closed a century later. During his operation 2000 miners have died in the galleries. In my opinion the film ranks with similar stories such as Matewan or Germinal, which are all recommended. Personally I would have left out the dramatization with romance and hate, and in fact the documentary Harlan County USA is still my favorite. On the other hand the drama probably helps to attract more audience. It is fascinating to compare Subterra, Germinal and Matewan, because of their cultural differences. The apathy and despair in Subterra and Germinal is striking, whereas in Matewan the miners elicit a gun fight. This suggests militancy with the American miners, but still it did not improve their case. For instance, according to Harlan County USA, in 1975 the safety conditions etc. in American mines were still worse than in the European ones.

I'm embarrassed, if only other actors or director had developed it.

[ava-g · 2/10 · 3 April 2005]

The script if by far the worst thing of the movie. It's as though Marcelo Ferrari and the script writers read "GuideLines in making a History Movie": Love story between the miner and the "maestra" (NO ONE says "maestra" in Chile), the nephew of the confused but good-hearted owner of the mine.The acting, at many times embarrassing and exaggerated. The script's fault mainly... And also, when has a miner ever dressed in white? By far too stupid and shallow... When has a Chilean miner referred in any way as the phrase "Camaradas, lo mas importante es la organización!" ("Comrads", The most important thing is organization) I'm not saying that a Chilean miner is not fit to think that, but that is the last literal or grammatical, or morphological way he would express it. There is a huge lack of effort and work to make this a good Chilean movie, it was just like translating a good best seller from Hollywood, add a little Baldomero Lillos, environment: Lota, stir it up and impress it in mediocrity millimeters of film. It's so unfair! Being such a good topic, with so many interesting possibilities to develop artistically, both visuals and the writing. I still cried when the little boy pushes the door inside the mine. There was something good there, very subtle, but it vanishes in the rest of the catastrophe it was for me when I saw it...