I can’t speak for everyone, but when it comes to film, the primary objective is relaxation, to unwind, or to marvel at the brilliance behind a group of creative minds coming together to tell a story. Generally, it’s all about wonder, fun and most importantly escapism. Good movies, ideally, leave you feeling something positive.
However, every so often, Hollywood releases films that, while good, leave a bitter aftertaste—movies that challenge your perspective on people and the world. Films like Million Dollar Baby, Atonement, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Everest, and, the subject of today's review, Society of the Snow that comfortably fall into that category. But what distinguishes this particular story is that it’s based on true events.
Society of the Snow, directed by Juan Antonio Boyana, depicts a tragic real-life event involving a Uruguayan rugby team’s harrowing experience in 1972.
There is also Alive (a 1993 movie) that covered the same story. The only difference was that Alive felt more like a “Hollywood” movie, with conventional American stars playing people from a different country.
Synopsis
In 1972, a Uruguayan flight crashes in the remote heart of the Andes, forcing survivors to become each other’s best hope.
Though labeled as an adventure/thriller on Netflix, I’d categorise it more as a drama/psychological horror due to its tragic, intimate, and haunting nature, especially when considering the real events.
What Worked
There’s a subtleness to the pacing of this movie during the second act that slowly psychologically wrecks you as you watch this team struggle to survive. Nature, while being breathtaking, is, for the better part, the villain of the movie. The editing, along with the voiceover, puts you in the film, allowing you to take in everything the team of guys went through.
Some of the most conflicting moments are when you get wide shots of the beautiful, breathtaking snowy mountains, and the camera takes its time on the beauty, only to cut to the rubble of the plane, throwing you back in the torment of the survivors.
The director of Photography applied an interesting use of light and black and white at a particular moment in the film. Each scene, depending on the tone and moment, has its own distinct look revolving around the radiance of the sun, either its absence or presence.
The cinematography, combined with the set and costume design, captures that ‘70s look and feel. From the outfits to the props, it feels like we jumped into a time machine back into the ‘70s. The casting is very good, largely because these are unknown actors who spoke in Latin, helping to sell the overall authenticity of the film and the characters.
It’s funny; I looked at most of these actors and thought to myself, ‘These guys have the legit “movie star” look.’ There are moments that make you question whether the actors actually went to the extent of what you see on screen, especially with the body transformations.
The sound design plays a big part in amplifying the small things, from the crunching of the snow to the simple sound of unwrapping a chocolate bar. The sound design is used to make everything and put you in the present of the events.
Now, to the difficult things: what makes me think that this works as a psychological horror is that there are disturbing moments in the film. First of all, the plane crash, is strikingly realistic with some of the most horrific moments in the whole film.
The director utilises our minds to fill in the gaps when it came to covering some of the most difficult aspects of this event like anthropophagy [the eating of human flesh by human beings]. Most of these events are discussed, implied, or shot but from a distance, but it’s this approach that stays with you - the imagination of what was to or what happened later on.
Challenges
While the film excels in its portrayal, it sticks closely to the recognisable structure of survival stories, echoing elements from literary works like Moby Dick or Lord of the Flies and cinematic narratives like Heart of Darkness. Yes, it’s an incredible story based on real events, and it’s incredibly captured, but it follows a very familiar survival story structure.
Society of the Snow offers a compelling retelling of an extraordinary real-life event. The director and production team’s dedication to authenticity deserves commendation. Despite following a familiar storytelling format, the film’s use of cinematography, performances, set, costume, and sound design effectively places viewers in the midst of the tragedy faced by the Uruguay rugby team. Although emotionally challenging, Society of the Snow is a movie that leaves a lasting impact and is undoubtedly worth experiencing.
