The time 3:34 AM is fixed in the mind of Chileans for that is the time on February 27 when the Great Earthquake of 2010 rocked the country.  The jolt was so severe that is shifted the planet off its axis and moved the entire city of Santiago some 12 feet to the west.


My view is this film is not too bad but will not translate too well for foreign audiences so don’t expect to see it at art and foreign film houses in the USA.  There are too many cultural references that people who live outside of Chile will not understand.  For example two prisoners escape from prison and traumatize the other characters in the film.  That this actually happened is not given an explanation.  One assumes that knowledge.

Another point is that people were not warned that there would be a tsunami afterwards.  So three characters remain at the beach while their frantic mother rushes to pluck them from the arms of her ex husband whom she reminds not to call me “mi amor” (my love).  Of course their beach house is then dashed to pieces when the giant wave rolls ashore.  This too assumes some knowledge of what actually happened here.


It was with great shame that some citizens of Constitucíon took to looting the stores shortly after the earthquake.  Some blame this on President Bachelet who did not send in the military.  (She was herself a victim of the Pinochet military regime so perhaps feared the idea of sending in the troops to lord over the citizens).  That one character in the film took part in the looting and then later was criticised by his friends for doing so is something that Chilean people will understand more than the foreigner.  What is not mentioned is that much of the looted goods were returned or left out in the street when the national police said that would arrest those caught with stolen items.


Finally showing this film so close to the one year anniversary of the film left many moviegoers almost traumatized.  There is no Stephen Spielberg special effects in the movie but the depiction of the actual earthquake was true enough that people leaving the theatre were deafly silent having been forced to recall again that traumatic event of last year.


You can watch the trailer here  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rmXcxvSCag