美国国家公共电台 NPR--'Thirteen Lives' is Ron Howard's take on a dramatic cave rescue in Thailand

'Thirteen Lives' is Ron Howard's take on a dramatic cave rescue in Thailand

Transcript¹

Four years ago, 12 boys and their soccer coach were trapped in deep, dark tunnels during heavy rains in Thailand. People around the world were captivated as a mission began to rescue them.

ASMA KHALID, HOST:

In his latest movie, filmmaker Ron Howard takes us inside an underwater cave in northern Thailand.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THIRTEEN LIVES")

COLIN FARRELL: (As John Volanthen) We're on the list of rescue divers².

VIGGO MORTENSEN: (As Rick Stanton) It's just a tourist cave.

FARRELL: (As John Volanthen) It looks easy, but when it's flooded, it's impossible.

(SOUNDBITE OF RUSHING WATER)

KHALID: The movie is the Hollywood take on the dramatic rescue of 12 boys and their soccer coach who were trapped in deep, dark tunnels during heavy rains in Thailand four years ago. It's called "Thirteen Lives." And we're joined now by LA Times film critic Kenneth Turan to talk about it. Good to have you with us.

KENNETH TURAN: Good to be here.

KHALID: So, Kenny, this is based on a true story. I will say, I remember the headlines, but I don't necessarily remember all these details.

TURAN: Yes. No, I felt the same way when the film first showed up on the radar³. And this really goes through it. I mean, Ron Howard has taken kind of a journalistic approach here. He takes you through the entire story from beginning to end. And, you know, the specifics are so kind of astonishing that you really want to know what happens next.

KHALID: You know, what was it like to see this on the big screen? I mean, there's got to be scenes inside that cave that I imagine are kind of claustrophobic-feeling.

TURAN: Oh, claustrophobic is the key word. I mean, these are not the wide-open spaces by any means. And they've done a great job - you know, kind of movie magic technicians - in recreating the cave, in using things like that that make you really feel that you're there.

KHALID: So let's talk about some of the actors. Viggo Mortensen and Colin Farrell play these heroes - they're volunteers, diving hobbyists - who come to the aid of these boys trapped in the cave. I mean, how does their performance stack up?

TURAN: Well, you know, these guys are very unassuming guys - the real guys. And for these kind of roles, you need low-key charisma⁴. You know, they're quiet. They're withdrawn⁵. But, you know, because they've got the movie-star charisma, you feel that you want to pay attention to them.

KHALID: So the real story was not just about the heroic efforts of foreigners but also the scary reality of these dozen young Thai kids who were trapped inside the cave. And I'm curious, you know, does the movie portray⁶ those kids as multidimensional characters? What's their role in all of this?

TURAN: Well, you know, that's a good question because they do not spend a lot of time with the kids. The rights issues and who could talk to who with these films got very complicated. And it turns out there is a Netflix series about to open that really looks at the kids more closely.

KHALID: Ah.

TURAN: We spend most of our time outside the cave. Thai Navy SEALs that are first on the scene and are really helpful - there's a great emphasis placed on the fact that this is a really enormous nationwide effort to really make this rescue happen.

KHALID: In all of this filming - my understanding is - was done essentially⁷ during the height of the COVID pandemic. And I'm curious how that impacted the filming.

TURAN: Well, you know, I just recently found out that it impacted the filming quite a bit. The dramatic scenes, the scenes that take place outside the cave - those were all shot in Australia because of COVID restrictions⁸. And there were scenes with the Thai participants that were shot in Thailand. And Ron Howard directed those over Zoom⁹.

KHALID: Oh, wow.

TURAN: He was like a remote director. You know, Ron Howard...

KHALID: Just like all of us - over Zoom.

TURAN: Yes. Yes. Even Hollywood doesn't escape Zoom. But, you know, Ron Howard's been directing, I think, for 40 years. You know, not anyone could direct a film well from a distance, but Ron Howard managed to do it, and you couldn't tell that it was shot in this unusual way watching the film.

KHALID: The film "Thirteen Lives" comes out today.

Kenny, thanks as always.

TURAN: Oh, thank you. It's a pleasure to be here.

KHALID: Kenneth Turan reviews movies here on MORNING EDITION.

(SOUNDBITE OF PHIL KLINE'S "IV. TARANTELLA")

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 divers   

adj.不同的；种种的

参考例句：

• He chose divers of them,who were asked to accompany him.他选择他们当中的几个人，要他们和他作伴。
• Two divers work together while a standby diver remains on the surface.两名潜水员协同工作，同时有一名候补潜水员留在水面上。

3 radar   

n.雷达，无线电探测器

参考例句：

• They are following the flight of an aircraft by radar.他们正在用雷达追踪一架飞机的飞行。
• Enemy ships were detected on the radar.敌舰的影像已显现在雷达上。

4 charisma   

n.(大众爱戴的)领袖气质，魅力

参考例句：

• He has enormous charisma. He is a giant of a man.他有超凡的个人魅力，是个伟人。
• I don't have the charisma to pull a crowd this size.我没有那么大的魅力，能吸引这么多人。

5 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

6 portray   

v.描写，描述；画(人物、景象等)

参考例句：

• It is difficult to portray feelings in words.感情很难用言语来描写。
• Can you portray the best and worst aspects of this job?您能描述一下这份工作最好与最坏的方面吗？

7 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

8 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

9 zoom   

n.急速上升；v.突然扩大，急速上升

参考例句：

• The airplane's zoom carried it above the clouds.飞机的陡直上升使它飞到云层之上。
• I live near an airport and the zoom of passing planes can be heard night and day.我住在一个飞机场附近，昼夜都能听到飞机飞过的嗡嗡声。