Anyone who’s seen J.A. Bayona’s 2012 film The Impossible knows he can do a deep ensemble character study that takes place during a life-threatening event. With Society of the Snow, the Barcelonian director tackles the true story of the 45 members of the Uruguay Old Christians Club Rugby team, whose plane crashed in the Andes mountains on October 13, 1972, and the 72 harrowing days that followed as the survivors fought to be rescued.
Based on the book of the same name by Pablo Vierci, Bayona puts us not only alongside the 29 survivors of the crash, but in the very heads of a few of them as they deal with the extreme bitter cold, lack of oxygen, and a limit on food and supplies. The crash itself is one of the most well-executed scenes in the film, from the acting to the camera movement to the sound design. It becomes an absolutely terrifying experience as you witness the devastation of a plane crash from every perspective. Some people were killed on impact, some while they were still crashing, others faced crippling injuries. Then there is the damage to the plane itself. Seeing the tail end of the plane get separated from the rest, and how that ends up impacting the rest of the story from there, is a shattering thing to witness and it’s done in a way to make the viewer question where they would see themselves in the same situation.
The crash itself kills 16 members of the team and crew. The remaining 29 spend their days trying to stay warm and ration out the few resources they have. It isn’t long before the suggestion of cannibalism comes up, but this argument is challenged by some members of the group, including our main protagonist, Numa (played by burgeoning Spanish actor, Enzo Vogrincic Roldán), who questions whether eating their dead friends will keep them from entering heaven. The question of faith and morality is a big sticking point for much of the film as each person is battling the difficult moral question of right and wrong versus their own survival.
The cannibalism is never shown but is described in pretty graphic detail. Bayona is wise to limit the graphic imagery, out of fear that too much of it would have been distracting and take away from the human element of the story. In his eyes, the men were doing something so lurid and unseemly, but for them, it was a means of survival, and nothing more. Because of this choice, we see how it affects them as human beings and as men of faith when confronted with this reality. And makes us question whether surviving at all is really worth the cost.
What really helps this film stand out is its sound. Michael Giacchino steps in to give the film its harrowing and sometimes tender score that carries you along with these characters through the most arduous journey there could be. The sound design also really shines when the survivors are met with a vicious snowstorm that buries many of them under feet of snow. With every wave that hits, you feel the fear and horror that overcomes them as they fight to reach the surface. The mixing is a blend of rushing snow followed by blood-curdling screams, and a hollowed-out metal plane being crunched against the weight of nature. The intensity of the moment makes it one of the most brutal scenes to witness.
The film is filled with mostly unknown actors and in their native language. Somehow, doing the film this way is what really sets it apart as a universal film of hardship, brotherhood, tragedy, and survival. In the end, only 16 men were rescued from Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571. The film takes the time to ask the survivors what it means to survive. Each man has their own answers. Some decide to live for the others, some feel the shame and the guilt of what they had to do. Some question everything that took place and why.
Society of the Snow is ultimately a tale of hope. It is a dark tale though. One with a lot of suffering and pain, but also one of the resilience of the human spirit, the defiance of circumstance, and the dignity of life. One that inspires us to live life to the fullest, and never give up.
Society of the Snow is currently playing in select theaters. The film will be available to stream on Netflix on January 4, 2023.
Society of the Snow is ultimately a tale of hope. It is a dark tale though. One with a lot of suffering and pain, but also one of the resilience of the human spirit, the defiance of circumstance, and the dignity of life. One that inspires us to live life to the fullest, and never give up.
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GVN Rating 9
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Phoenix is a father of two, the co-host and editor of the Film Code Podcast, co-founder of the International Film Society Critics Association. He’s also a member of the Pandora International Critics, Midnight Critics Circle, Online Film and Television Association, and Film Independent. With the goal of eventually becoming a filmmaker himself. He’s also obsessed with musical theater.