Le Cercle des neiges

First, let's get something out of the way: "Society of the Snow" is not a remake of "Alive" (1993), just like James Cameron's "Titanic" wasn't a remake of 1958's "A Night to Remember", which also wasn't a remake of any previous Titanic-centered movies. This is the adaptation of a different book covering the story of the Andes survivors - another take on the same real-life event.

As directed by J. A. Bayona (back at the survival thriller genre after 2012's "The Impossible") and led by a group of unknown Uruguayan and Argentinean actors, "Society of the Snow" is not only authentically cast and produced, but powerfully moving in its conception of narrative.

There's an unexpected focal character here, but the movie plays out as an ensemble piece and, true to its title, portrays every person as essential to the outcome. There's a feeling that those who lost their lives were just as responsible for the ultimate rescue of their remaining friends as those who eventually reached civilization to seek help - not just for selflessly volunteering their bodies for food, but for providing comfort, solidarity, acceptance, even humor!, under the most dreadful of circumstances.

This is a movie that will stay with you. Please, don't miss out on it.

I am 61 years old and I remember well the events told in "La sociedad de la nieve". The film does not hide or underestimate what 50 years ago shocked the whole world, but - as the title suggests - it frames it in a broader context: what eventually humanity is. We are not the strongest race, nor the fastest, nor - for some time now - the most intelligent on our planet. But, as a group, we are incredibly resilient. Man is weak, but humanity is impossible to defeat. A message of great hope at a time when we are facing terrible challenges ahead of us. Not to be missed.

Amazing soundtrack by Michail Giacchino. After having watched the movie, listen to "Found" which beautifully captures the message of the whole movie with minimal use of instruments and notes.

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.

I've always loved the 1993 version (Alive) and seen it lots of times so I was always looking forward to seeing this. I thought it was pretty good... that is until the last 30 minutes - wow! So much emotion and completes the whole story that was missing from the 1993 version.

By no means am I saying this is a poor film, in fact the production was great and so much time and effort went into this going from the write ups prior to its release. Having relations involved from the true story also makes it more emotional.

If you find it long at almost 2hrs 30min just hold out to the last 30 minutes.

Already having seen Alive several times and being v familiar with the 1972 story, I honestly didn't believe it necessary to see this version.

However a good friend persuaded me to go see it and the rest is history!

This is without doubt the definitive version, the story is told with authenticity and a v keen Director's eye.

I was worried about the foreign subtitles, but needn't have been since it kept me in the movie and made the connection to all the players even more heartfelt.

This is a reminder to us all, that nothing is impossible and when facing insurmountable adversity the human spirit is capable of triumph! Inspirational and to those who died on that fateful and subsequent days in the Andes, they will never be forgotten 🙏🏿