The Tin Mine

Thailand 2005

Poster and details rottentomatoes

Seen 4 February 2007

This is a gentle coming of age saga. Four years spent in the wilderness of southern Thailand, working in a tin mine. Of course this was not the protagonist’s first choice but his failure at school pushed him to this god forsaken place. The story unfolds slowly, taking its own sweet time to show the audience each facet of the hero’s life at the tin mine. The good ensemble acting and script takes us through the ups and downs of working in a tin mine at the turn of the twentieth century. There were even a few scenes where the actors spoke in Malay, and in Kelantanese dialect. The realistic depiction of those involved in the tin mining industry makes the film different from the usual love and horror stories from Thailand.

Some may not like the slow pace but with patience, we can see some gems.