Director: J.A. Bayona | Writer: J.A. Bayona
Starring: Enzo Vogrincic, Augustin Pardella, Matias Recalt
It’s hard to believe that Alive was released 30 years ago; I was only 10, now I’m 40, and apparently it’s time for a remake. But the problem is, the original is about as close to a perfect retelling as a director could possibly make; what is there left to do? Bayona attempts to add more story to a story that’s already been told, and apparently audiences were ready; this film was nominated for two Oscars and countless other awards. Maybe I’m just old, maybe most audiences don’t remember the first film, but I can’t help thinking that this one is simply unnecessary.
A Uruguayan rugby club flies across the Andes mountains with family and friends on board, only to experience a disaster they never could have imagined. When the plane crashes, most of the passengers are killed or soon die. But for those who are left, living in the nose of the plane, half buried in snow, a difficult decision awaits. With no way to call for help and an unknowable trek through frigid temperatures to civilization the only means of escape, their thoughts turn to survival. Food awaits as the bodies of their dead friends lie in the snow in the mountain valley, but to cross that line means damnation, and perhaps death is the better option.
This is a harrowing true story for sure, an event from the 70s that many still remember, an international catastrophe that became a major film. Not since the Donner party have we been confronted with the severity and reality of this question; what would you do? And it’s that humanity and struggle that made this tale so fascinating, which is why we liked the first movie, and apparently why we’re watching the second. Society of the Snow is without question compelling, but I definitely liked the original better. It focused more on reenactment, it was detail-oriented, and highlighted the ingenuity of the young men, as they struggled to survive. This time, the film is more artistically driven, which is fine, but I think some of the real life element is missing, which is too bad, and, I think, which is why I can’t love it.
My rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆