Society of the Snow

This isn't just a movie; it’s a beautifully raw, historically accurate tribute to one of the greatest survival stories in human history. Everything here actually happened in 1972 when a Uruguayan rugby team crashed in the Andes for 72 days. The way the director shows their bond, the crushing reality of what they had to do to survive, and the absolute heroism of Roberto and Nando walking across the mountains for help is unforgettable. It didn't just get nominated for 2 Oscars and win 12 Goya awards for its visuals—it won because it shows the true depth of human resilience. If you think the beginning is slow, keep watching. The emotional payoff at the end will break you. A certified masterpiece."  

Recounts the famous story of an Uruguayan rugby team whose plane crashed in the Andes, killing many, with many others dying of starvation, injury afterwards, but how 27 went on to survive for 72 days against all the odds, but which required them to resort to cannibalism. It's difficult when you watch a film that has been so highly praised and it doesn't really do it for you. I'd seen 'Alive' years ago and quite liked it but was prepared for a better film telling a less Hollywood version of events. Whilst I thought there was much to admire here - good acting, you felt their isolation, it looked tremendous and reflected well an amazing story, I did get rather bored. What dragged me down was that the bulk of the film - snow / fuselage / cannibalism / slow death / undernourishment etc just seemed never ending and it all felt the same and blurred into one long snowy depression. The last 20 minutes certainly compensated for this and was certainly moving - it just took too long to get there. Sorry.

The story itself is extremely powerful. The fact that it's very real makes it so much better, I honestly would think the whole thing is too much to maintain my suspension of disbelief, but IT DID really happen. There's a lot of emphasis on a particular concern that made this whole accident famous worldwide, but I think they linger a bit too much on it. In general, the issue is that this movie is incredibly sluggish and boring. I think they could have easily trimmed away 30 minutes and it would have worked much much better. The ending is definitely the best part of the movie, but the rest just refuses to get to the point.

STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor * Awful The true life story of a Uraguyan rugby team, who in October 1972, crash landed by plane in the Andes mountains on their way to play a rival team in Chile. With no sign of any rescue coming, and forced to go days without food and water, the 29 who survived out of the 45 on the plane, find themselves forced to resort to cannibalism, which leaves a horrific stain on their hearts and souls, before embarking on a desperate quest for survival. Although I never saw it (I was too young and my mom wouldn't let me), I do still remember the film Alive from 1992, which depicted the same incredibly true life tale that has now been dramatised by writer/director J. A. Bayona in this epic foreign language effort. It's such an astonishing true life tale that it does warrant a second big screen re-telling, especially after such a large passage of time, and Bayona has certainly pulled the cat out of the bag, and delivered a marvellous, full scale drama, that gives a wonderfully human touch to its subjects. With a two and a half hour runtime to work through, Bayona doesn't take too much time establishing the characters, or developing them much, other than enforcing that they're all great friends, but quickly creating a sense of isolation and claustrophobia, with a group of ordinary people plunged into a terrifying situation that nobody could imagine. The survivors, even with the desperation of their situation, and their own fate on the line, remain genuinely torn between their sense of morality and survival, when the proposition of cannibalism is posed. While the length does cause it to drag in places, this actually adds a further degree of realism, as this must have been the case for the survivors in reality. It's the simple things, like a scene where a rhyming game is used for humourous effects, that gives it this simple realism that separates it from the theatricality of a Hollywood production. In a tale of such desperation and hopelessness, it's nice to have some sense of respite, and there is some beautiful, sweeping cinematography of the snow soaked Andes mountains, awesome beauty in the face of a living Hell. This is a riveting tale, of a true life tragedy that claimed a number of innocent lives, and no doubt led to change so that nothing like it could happen again. But also, that survival can be a truly viable real life option. ****

One of the finest movies I have ever seen. This movie is very restricted by definition. This number of people are in this location--an extremely restricted location, and not much varies for the entire length of the (long) movie. It could have been very repetitious. It could have gotten boring. It could have resorted to being gory and sensationalistic. There's no romance, no car chases or explosions, no comedy. So, everything rests on the power of the script, and the acting, and the cinematography. And those all came through!! The script did this real life event justice in exactly the way previous scripts did not! It was nuanced. It was poignant. The acting was superb. The characters well drawn. Powerful little moments, short moving speeches, moral dilemmas, existential questions, solidarity, tiny seconds of joy in the face of adversity. These actors starved themselves to play the roles realistically. You can't help but ask yourself repeatedly "What would I do?" in this situation and that.... I'm a big fan of Ernest Shackleton and the amazing story of his Endurance expedition. Many parts of this film paralleled that story (and if you enjoy this film and watching how people survive in extremely challenging circumstances then I recommend reading Shackleton's Way). In fact, I wish this director would create a great version of that Endurance story-- because no one else has captured it well. You get a feeling for the power of leadership (not just by one "leader" but by anyone who chooses to step up and influence the group in a positive way that leads to desirable outcomes). I was engaged the entire time. Hats Off! I hope it wins lots of recognition and awards.

There's a film about the Uruguayan rugby team crash landing in the Andes in the 70s. Alive. It's very good. Do we need another film telling the story? Well for starters this is all in Spanish, which makes it feel more authentic and there's more build up and back story. We get to know the players a little bit more, but still it doesn't wait too long to board the plane. They're off to play a match in Santiago. Taking off from Uruguay, the weather is good, the colours are vibrant. It looks beautiful. Everyone's happy. Excited. Smiling. Adventure awaits. Just not the one expected. They're kids on a plane. Jovial, having fun, until they're not. Do not watch this if you're due to fly soon. It is absolutely terrifying. The crash sequence is viseral. Chaotic. Flesh and metal twisted together. Blood. Bone. Panic. It's honestly a blessing to be killed rather than survive. Some do though of course and set out on an unimaginable hell. The night hits, the temperatures drop, how on earth do you comprehend the pain and anguish they endure. We can't of course, but Society of the Snow does help to give us a sense, at least visually even if we can't truly understand the hellish madness. Numa (Enzo Vogrincic) is our guide. He narrates. Giving us some inner insight, seeing how his team mates are reacting, the ones with hope, the ones already without, but to be honest this is such a stark story, it's impossible not to be pulled in by every deepening twist. They try to organise. Care for the wounded. Respect the dead. Conserve food. Wait for rescue. For all the horror, it's beautifully shot. The widescreen ratio accentuating the snowy mountain vista. Airplanes tease them in the distance, mere dots in the sky as the engine noise cascades around the mountain peaks. They're inventive it must be said. Nothing wasted, stripping what's left of the plane to make things as comfortable as possible. It is not comfortable. How long can you go without food? How long can you survive. If you don't know this story then I won't spoil it, but they go to some extremes, wrestle with moral questions than test their faith and humanity. It digs deeper than Alive. That film is not an easy watch, but the depths here are cavernous as fractions appear and splits occur. Marcelo (Diego Vegezzi) retains hope, talks of its importance as they others lose it. His faith part of his identity, but can that alone sustain you in such conditions. Adolfo (Esteban Kukuriczka) and Roberto (Matías Recalt) are more willing to embrace practical horrors. You can feel the cold. Sense the anguish. With each ray of hope extinguished, they hit new lows. It's utterly brutal. Yet this is not a woe is me story of defeat. Quite the opposite. It's the story of people who refuse to give up. Go to unfathomable lengths to keep going. You'll watch most of this with your teeth clenched. It doesn't deviate from the Alive timeline, why would it, but with a longer duration, uses the opportunity to flesh things out, so to speak. Both are great films, this one though, I think is amazing. It feels more rounded, more personal. Helped by the incredible end scenes that will have you smiling through the tears.

All is forgiven Netflix. For all the subpar movies you have given us making us wonder why we are still signed up to your service, this movie makes up for all your shortcomings. It is that good. This movie is truly a masterpiece. It made me cry, it made me hope and kept me on the edge of my seat the whole way, all 144 minutes. Superb acting , incredible direction and unforgettable cinematography. A truly impactful story masterfully told. Kudos to the production team for delivering such a powerful movie . My only gripe is not having seen it in theatre. It would have been incredible to experience it on a wide screen . I also believe it could win some awards. Thank you again Netflix y Felicidades y Bendiciones J. A. Bayona !