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ART & CULTURE
Lamb: "The 33" can't mine drama until halfway
ALEX LAMB
@Lambcannon
The survival and rescue of the Chilean miners who were trapped 2,300 feet underground for 69 days is a remarkable true story that captured the world's attention five years ago. But the big screen portrayal of this event, "The 33," feels more dramatically stuck in clichéd storytelling than inspiring struggle.
mosphere in the monstrous darkness.
On Aug. 5, 2010, a major collapse in the San José copper-gold mine in Chile's Atacama Desert buried alive the 33 miners working inside, with only three days worth of food and water and seemingly no way for a rescue crew to save them. "The 33" begins with a routine introduction to the miners and their families before descending into the expansive tunnels and dangerous conditions of the mine, establishing a foreboding at-
The ensuing cave-in nervously thrills as they make their way deep down to a refuge area with very limited supplies, where energetic Mario Sepulveda (Antonio Banderas) takes charge of the men, dismissing their fears and maintaining hope and humor amid desperation.
Meanwhile, the families of the miners, led by an outspoken empanada baker (Juliette Binoche), camp outside of the mine demanding answers and rescue efforts. Those come in the form of the Chilean President's aide (Rodrigo Santoro) and an expert engineer (Gabriel Byrne) steering drills to find the miners.
The harrowing conditions the miners endure, having to survive on a little bit of water and a single can of tuna per day between all of them as time goes on, starving in 100 degree darkness as hope
dwindles, should be the more compelling and interesting part of the movie. Instead, it's kind of boring — about 15 minutes too long and lacks dramatic tension.
This is in part because "The 33" settles for earnest stereotypes in most of its characterization. Additionally, some of the actors feel totally out of place. Like Binoche, who is French, but eventually fits well in her role, or Byrne, who's Irish accent slips into his Chilean one at times.
Antonio Banderas in "The 33."
However, the second half of the movie, once the miners are discovered, is far more entertaining and lively than the slog through the first hour. The 33 receive tons of supplies through the 6.5-inch hole to the surface and get to communicate with their families via video.
They even become famous as the world cheers them on, with Banderas particularly shining as the humble leader charms
the outside world supporting the miners. The change of mood from gloomy to enthusiastic as their salvation nears gives the characters more dimension as their situation and dynamics with each other
BEATRICE AGUIRRE/HALF CIRCLE/TNS
grow more interesting.
The life-affirming ending satisfies and is sure to leave viewers feeling warm and fuzzy, but not warm enough to make up for the hour it leaves them cold.
Two and a half out of four stars.
— Edited by Amber Vandegrift
University Theatre's "A Doll's House" echoes 19th century feminist sentiments that reverberate in modern times
SAMANTHA SEXTON
@Sambiscuit
In this era of social justice movements, the myriad political talking points and petitions for change lead headlines.
In keeping with this idea, director and KU assistant professor Peter Zazzali is in the process of producing the upcoming play, "A Doll's House," which will open on Saturday, Nov. 14.
"Despite the fact that Ibsen, the writer of the play, refused to call his work 'feminist'; 'A Doll's House' is one of the most pro-women's rights
productions still to this day." Zazzall said.
The play portrays a discontent housewife, who though she may have a beautiful home, healthy children and a successful husband realizes that she had made no achievement on her own and that her life is empty without personal accomplishment. Nora Helmer, the play's protagonist, tries desperately to make something of herself and discover why she feels so empty in a world dominated by men that don't understand why she isn't happy despite all that her husband has provided her.
"It's a harsh look, a realistic look, at what it was to be a woman in the 19th century, and I think still has very strong relevance today," Zazzali said. "We still have an inequality among the sexes. We still have gender imbalance when it comes to power and influence in our society. Women are still well behind their male counterparts in leadership positions in everything from religious spheres, to the educational sphere, to the corporate sector, right up into the government."
Even more than 130 years after the play's opening night, the message still seems to be
clear and understandable. At the end of the play, Nora Helmer slams the door on her life, leaving her husband, home and three children behind, to find a life with meaning.
"That door slam is famously, or infamously, known as 'the door slam heard around the world,'" Zazzali said. "It was the unexpected shot at what was considered traditional marriage — to have the patriarchal set-up and for the woman to be submissive to her husband."
al countries. Zazzali said he hopes to keep that raw sense of reality alive in his performance to preserve the message as strong as it was more than a century ago.
The play was shocking for 19th century Europeans, and it was banned in sever-
"Ibsen wrote some really powerful scenes, and I think that some performances haven't done them justice, and I hope to bring that emotion and sense of being trapped to the play," Zazzali said. "The set and costumes are beautiful and well designed and I think that only adds to the narrative that no matter how pretty a cage is, it's still a cage."
Zazzali plans to show the
partnership between Nora and Torvald Helmer, which Henrik Ibsen implied as the grity truth of an abusive relationship, to highlight the themes of the play.
"Nora is an abused and broken down woman," Zazzali said. "But despite that, she still manages to pick herself up and leave, which may be both the most courageous and reckless thing to do, given that there were no job or educational opportunities available to her at the time."
Although the play clearly focuses on women's rights
SEE PLAY PAGE 14
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