MINE

US/Italy/Spain, 2016, 106 minutes, Colour.

Armie Hammer, Tom Cullen, Clint Dyer, Annabel Wallis, Geoff Bell, Juliet Aubrey, Ines Pinar Mille.

Directed by Fabio Guaglione, Fabio Resinaro.

Mine has a gruelling story. And, audiences watching it will find much of it gruelling. It is a war film, set in North Africa, American marines and snipers, on a mission to capture an important local target, tipped off that he will be present at a wedding. However, the two snipers are surprised to find that there is a wedding celebration, the radio authority telling them to shoot. However, at some stage, the groom stands in front of the target, the shot is lost, but there is a reflection and the locals realise that they are targets and escape.

The film focuses on the two Marines and their attempt to get back to base, having to walk through the desert, enormous sandstorms, and, as the title indicates, mines.

One of the men, played by Tom Cullen, stands on a mine, loses his legs, eventually shoots himself. The other man, played by Armie Hammer, stands on the mine and is transfixed. The bulk of the film shows him standing, unable to move, talking with his friend, dismayed at the friend shooting himself, stranded in the desert, eventually able to make some radio contact told to wait for more than two days for a rescue.

Armie Hammer gives a tour de force performance, one of his best. And most of the action depends on him, standing, kneeling, thirsty, hungry, the blazing sun, the sandstorms, the threat of prowling animals and attack, a visit from a local Berber who philosophises with him about the meaning of life, eventually does give him something to drink, and the daughter of the Berber, also something to drink, and her playing with the toy soldier.

There are also hallucinations, of his friend coming alive and giving him advice, especially in the confrontation with the beasts. He imagines he sees the vehicles coming to rescue him. But, most of all, there are a number of flashbacks to his past, his relationship with his girlfriend, their clashes, his violent attitude and behaviour, leaving her, and memories of his father and his brutality, punching his son, and the violent treatment of his mother, and her death in hospital.

Which means that the scenario is something like a purgatorial experience for the Marine, an experience of dying over a long time, memory surfacing, his having to come to deal with his life.

There is an irony in his stepping off the mine and discovering what was really in the ground.

The Canary Islands stand in for North Africa.

1. Title? The mines in the ground? The meaning of mine and possession, of Mike and his life, his memories, good and bad, Jenny, mother and father?
2. The film as a kind of purgatorial experience, the experience of a long dying, of memories and the purging of memories and feelings?
3. The North African desert, filmed on the Canary islands? The vastness of the desert, the long shots, the isolation of individuals in the desert? Remote, helpless?
4. The mission, the two snipers, the target, arrival, the authority on the radio, determined that the target should be shot? The discovery of the wedding, the ceremony, bride and groom, rituals, Mike and his wariness about the shot? His companion urging him on? The work of a sniper, patient, focusing? The groom standing in front of the target? The shot lost, with the reflection, the group escaping, the attack on the snipers?
5. The escape, walking through the desert, the two talking together, the past friendship, Tommy stepping on the mine, losing his legs, his reaction, talking with Mike, his eventually shooting himself?
6. Mike, standing on the mine, alarm, keeping his foot on the mine, standing, kneeling, manoeuvring, talking with Tommy, the effect of Tommy’s death?
7. The bulk of the film, Mike and his isolation, radio contact, the long delay in rescue, the sandstorms and their vastness, thirst, hunger, reaching for his pack? Reaching for the flare? The many hours, night and day?
8. Seeing the Berber in the distance, his walk, zig-zag as if avoiding the mines, coming to Mike, the language, English, coming close, tantalising Mike, the water? The visit, discussion, meaning of life, taking steps forward, risk? His return visits? His little daughter coming, the water, the toy soldier, her return with her father?
9. The importance of the flashbacks? The opening farewell to Jenny, memories of her, the memories in the desert, at home, in the bar, his violence, the punch, at home, clash, leaving, looking back? Memories of his childhood, his father violent towards his mother, his father turning on him, punching him, the repeat of that scene?
10. The animals and their attack, the tactics, his imagining Tommy alive and advising him, the discussions?
11. The radio contact, the further delay in rescue? His desperation, day and night, heat and cold, water, trying to reach the flare, trapped? The final despair, stepping off the mine, no explosion, digging it out, the tin with the toy soldier and the irony? The red of the flare in the sky?
12. The final hallucination with his father, the gun, ready to shoot, the father approaching, the embrace, the mutual embrace?
13. The return, Jenny waiting for him, a future based on this experience?