'Society Of The Snow' can't help but invite comparisons with 'Alive,' Frank Marshall's incredibly similar film about a horrific plane crash in the early seventies. The two movies both tell the story of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, which crashed in the Andes mountains and left a small group of survivors stranded in inhospitable conditions for months. If you've already seen 'Alive,' you've technically seen this one too. It's not strictly a remake as much as two separate films recalling the same events, but the stories unfold in ways that are inherently similar.
However, even when compared to Marshall's great film, 'Society Of The Snow' is the better one. I can't put my finger on why, but it has a greater emotional weight and its portrayal of ordinary young people in terrible circumstances is dignified and respectful. This is a film where people end up eating the corpses of their dead friends, but it doesn't feel exploitative. The acting is consistently good and as the characters are all speaking Spanish, there's a degree of legitimacy that in hindsight, was missing from 'Alive.'
Plus, there's a few crucial extra scenes that increase the scope of the film. Marshall started 'Alive' by putting us right inside the plane minutes before it crashed, whereas JA Bayona begins with a rugby game. You see some of the team's dynamics at work and get a few scenes of them prepping for their trip and it does wonders. They're excited and laughing and talking about girls they're hoping to meet. It's only short, but it gives them greater depth. Similarly, Bayona adds a brief epilogue showing the survivors recovering in hospital and reuniting with their families which is beautifully done. If the scene where a public figure reads the list of survivors and finishes with the name of his own son doesn't make you well up, you're made of sterner stuff than me.
Curiously, the one area where I thought 'Alive' had more impact was the pivotal crash sequence. It was a brutal and shocking moment in the 1993 film, whereas the contrasting scene here felt less intense. It's not pleasant by any means, but it was over quicker and has a tinge of the artificial. Looking through a few reviews here, 'Society' clearly had that affect on a few viewers, but I didn't get the same empty pit of horror in my stomach as I did with 'Alive.'
Otherwise, 'Society Of The Snow' is excellent. Two and a half hours of young men starving to death in the Andes might sound daunting, but it feels like half that length. I couldn't look away and by the end I was in pieces. And Enzo Vogrincic, Matias Recalt, Agustin Pardella and Diego Vegezzi should be on every casting agent's radar from now on. Great film, even if you have already seen its famous forerunner.
However, even when compared to Marshall's great film, 'Society Of The Snow' is the better one. I can't put my finger on why, but it has a greater emotional weight and its portrayal of ordinary young people in terrible circumstances is dignified and respectful. This is a film where people end up eating the corpses of their dead friends, but it doesn't feel exploitative. The acting is consistently good and as the characters are all speaking Spanish, there's a degree of legitimacy that in hindsight, was missing from 'Alive.'
Plus, there's a few crucial extra scenes that increase the scope of the film. Marshall started 'Alive' by putting us right inside the plane minutes before it crashed, whereas JA Bayona begins with a rugby game. You see some of the team's dynamics at work and get a few scenes of them prepping for their trip and it does wonders. They're excited and laughing and talking about girls they're hoping to meet. It's only short, but it gives them greater depth. Similarly, Bayona adds a brief epilogue showing the survivors recovering in hospital and reuniting with their families which is beautifully done. If the scene where a public figure reads the list of survivors and finishes with the name of his own son doesn't make you well up, you're made of sterner stuff than me.
Curiously, the one area where I thought 'Alive' had more impact was the pivotal crash sequence. It was a brutal and shocking moment in the 1993 film, whereas the contrasting scene here felt less intense. It's not pleasant by any means, but it was over quicker and has a tinge of the artificial. Looking through a few reviews here, 'Society' clearly had that affect on a few viewers, but I didn't get the same empty pit of horror in my stomach as I did with 'Alive.'
Otherwise, 'Society Of The Snow' is excellent. Two and a half hours of young men starving to death in the Andes might sound daunting, but it feels like half that length. I couldn't look away and by the end I was in pieces. And Enzo Vogrincic, Matias Recalt, Agustin Pardella and Diego Vegezzi should be on every casting agent's radar from now on. Great film, even if you have already seen its famous forerunner.