In 1993, the movie “Alive” was released in theaters. I was in college and some friends and I went to see it at the dollar theater. I was a little obsessed with it, likely because of Ethan Hawke’s involvement, but also because it is a harrowing tale. I read the book with the same title, wanting to dive deeper into the stories of the people trapped in the Andes for months. Then time passed and I forgot about it, until I was able to watch J.A. Bayona’s “Society of the Snow,” releasing this week on Netflix.
In 1972, a Uruguayan rugby team, along with many of their friends and family, boarded a plane headed to Santiago, Chile. High winds and an inexperienced pilot resulted in a tragic plane crash where a dozen people died immediately, and several more in the first night in the frigid temperatures of the Andes. The story is told from the perspective of Numa Turcatti (Enzo Vogrincic Roldán), a student and friend. As time passed, it was determined that it was necessary for the survivors to find a food source, and the only supply available were the bodies of those who had died in the crash.
Eventually, Roberto Canessa (Matías Recalt) and Nando Parrado (Agustín Pardella) set out to find help, making their way across the mountains and into Chile where they eventually were discovered by men on horseback who helped organize a rescue of the remaining 14 survivors at the crash site.
This film is an incredible feat of storytelling. Bayona manages to capture both the claustrophobia of being stuck in the fuselage of the downed plane, but also the sheer magnitude of being lost in a sea of snow, invisible from any distance. The crash is shown in graphic detail, capturing the absolute terror of the passengers. Later, when an avalanche comes, killing another eight of the survivors, we again see that safety is something that they cannot achieve.
The performances from the relatively unknown cast of Uruguayan and Argentinian actors are all superb, shifting from terror to hope to revulsion to acceptance at a moment’s notice. Despite knowing what was going to happen, I was fully engrossed in the drama playing out, largely thanks to a spectacular group of performers.
So much of this story could be sensationalized or played for horror, but instead it is handled with care and respect. We feel the weight of those who are tasked with harvesting the meat for the others. We understand the immensity of what it means to truly give yourself up for your friends. We recognize the deeply human urge to survive when giving up would be so much easier.
As we enter this new year with all of its potential for both the best of humanity and the worst of humanity, “Society of the Snow” is a poignant reminder that when everything is stripped away, what we have are those in our community and we would do well to keep that in mind.
ALISE CHAFFINS is a Morgantown writer who loves movies and sharing her opinions. She reviews a movie from a streaming service every Saturday and one newly in theaters every Sunday. Find more at MacGuffin or Meaning on Substack.
