Picture: Netflix
Premiering at the prestigious Venice Film Festival, Society of the Snow is Director J.A. Bayona’s take on the story of the infamous 1972 Uruguayan Air Force flight that crashed on a glacier in the heart of the Andes Mountains. Chartering a rugby team to Chile, only 29 of the 45 passengers survived the crash. Finding themselves in one of the world’s toughest environments, they are forced to resort to extreme measures to stay alive.
Based on the book “La Sociedad de la Nieve” by Pablo Vierci, the film utilizes Vierci’s strong ties to the remaining survivors of the crash, many of whom he knew from childhood. The filmmakers recorded more than 100 hours of interviews with all of the living survivors and the actors had access to them & their families as well.
With a reported budget of around 60-70 million, Bayona spared no expense to bring the highest level of authenticity to the project. He used the actual crash site as one of the locations on the film and only used actors from Uruguay & Argentina, most of them newcomers.
As the subject has been well covered previously in many forms of media, most notably in the U.S. with the 1993 Frank Marshall film Alive starring Ethan Hawke, Bayona’s best chance at standing out would be in the craftsmanship of his recreations, as well as, his ability to create tension, fear, & emotional resonance with its many set pieces.
With his previous disaster film experience on his first English speaking feature, 2012’s Thailand Tsunami story The Impossible starring Ewan McGregor, Bayona builds upon his already impressive abilities to punctuate large scale devastation with athletic cinematography, realistic detail, & unflinching terror. The plane crash & the avalanche scenes in particular draw upon his veteran vision & blocking to create visceral nightmares that stick with you long after the film’s conclusion.
While the cinematography & special effects may, quite rightly, get a lot of the attention for this film, its quieter moments of despair & compassion can almost be just as impressive. Bayona’s script – written alongside Bernat Vilaplana, Jaime Marques-Olarreaga, & Nicolas Casariego – & direction fills the aftermath of the crash with religious contemplations, impossible moral quandaries, undeterred emotional and physical support, & survivor’s guilt in the face of unspeakable tragedy.
With many films of this genre that fly from one extreme to another, the musical score can become a key element to elevate the experience. Oscar winner Michael Giacchino (Up, The Batman, “Lost”) delivers another exceptional arrangement as he guides us through the emotional rollercoaster of a 70+ day endurance test. His score has already been nominated for a Critics Choice Award in this category.
Overall, Society of the Snow improves on a familiar story with its impressive level of detail, humanity, & disaster film theatrics. With standout cinematography, score, & special effects, Bayona creates his most effective & emotionally evocative film to date. With nominations already stacking up in the early awards season, we can expect to keep singing the film’s praises for months to come.
LA SOCIEDAD DE LA NIEVE (L to R) AGUSTIN DELLA CORTE as TINTIN in LA SOCIEDAD DE LA NIEVE. Cr. QUIM VIVES/NETFLIX © 2022
Watch Society of the Snow If You Liked
- Alive (1993)
- The Impossible
- The Revenant
- 127 Hours
- Survive! (1976)
- Stranded
- I Am Alive: Surviving the Andes Plane Crash
MVP of Society of the Snow
The Strauch Cousins
Did you think we would write a whole review on this movie without having one conversation about cannibalism?!
Beyond all the spectacle & craftsmanship, there is one major decision in the film that no one wants to take on in real life: are you eating people if it means your survival?
When no one wants to answer that question or they only want to debate the morality or criminality, somebody had to step up and do what was necessary. The Strauch Cousins do exactly that with a knowing grace & intelligence that moves the group along in their quest to survive.
“Till now, the Strauch cousins have been able to make the meat just meat. Meat without a name. Without a face.” I salute them for doing what many of us at home could never do.
J.A. Bayona’s script & direction, combined with incredible crafts & score, bring new life to a well-documented tragedy.
The film is very much fan focussed, with the sound mix being so specific that you can hear individual fans singing along in sync with the visuals.
