Society of the Snow

by Mike McGranaghan

The story of the 1972 Uruguayan plane crash in the Andes was previously told in 1993’s Alive. At the time, there was a lot of disbelief that a subsidy of Disney would release a picture involving people eating the dead to survive. I still recall sitting inside the Southgate 4 Theater in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania getting completely freaked out by the events depicted. That’s nothing compared to sitting through Society of the Snow, a far more detailed and meticulous recreation of the tragedy. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a movie this harrowing.

Director J.A. Bayona previously made The Impossible, a similarly nerve-rattling work about the devastating Thailand tsunami, so he knows how to navigate this territory. We see things primarily from the POV of Numa Turcatti (Enzo Vogrincic), a member of the rugby team on board the plane. Their pilot hits a mountain ridge, tearing the rear off the aircraft and leaving the front to plunge into the ground. If you can watch the crash sequence without gasping, you deserve a medal. Bayona shows precisely what happens, including all the seats being thrust forward, leaving passengers squished between them.

The survivors are stuck on a glacier in the Andes. Taking an immersive, you-are-there approach, we watch as Numa and the others endure a series of almost unfathomable hazards. Avalanches bury them under snow – twice. Subzero temperatures have them huddling together for warmth that doesn’t come. A shortage of food leads to the realization that the only way to survive is to consume their fellow travelers who didn’t make it. Without getting gross, the film manages to convey the intense hunger that leads them to this difficult decision.

Part of what allows Society of the Snow to become thorougly gripping is that it continually forces you to imagine yourself in this scenario. The realization that people actually faced such a nightmare lingers in the mind. Bayona artfully recreates each successive trial the group confronts, without teetering into exploitation. He admirably focuses on the psyches of the characters as they grapple with the increasingly dire state of the situation.

That allows Society of the Snow to accomplish something Alive couldn’t, namely, to celebrate the will to live in a manner you can feel in your bones. Because the horror is forcefully conveyed, the refusal of these individuals to give up proves inspiring. The ultimate rescue of the survivors offers both cathartic and emotional release. Many films about disasters pay attention to the hardships, tossing in a sense of triumph at the end. This one makes sure to dig into the psychology that keeps its characters holding on.

With naturalistic performances from the ensemble cast and stunning cinematography that highlights the dual beautiful/deadly nature of the Andes, Society of the Snow is a first-rate survival drama that will fray your nerves and touch your heart.

---