Movie Review - La Sociedad de la Nieve

Director: J.A. Bayona
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 144 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Enzo Vogrincic, Rafel Federman, Simon Hempe, Santiago Vaca Narvaja, Andry Pruss, Agustin Pardella, Carlitos Paez
 
I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2024 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 2: A FILM IN A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH OR DUTCH
 
Description: The flight of a rugby team crashes on a glacier in the Andes. The few passengers who survive the crash find themselves in one of the world’s toughest environments to survive.

Review: On Friday, October 13^th 1972, Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, bound for the Chilean capital Santiago, crashed into a glacier in the Andes, miles away from civilization. On board were 40 members of a rugby team, close friends hailing from the capital, Montevideo. For the survivors of the crash, seventy-two days followed on a snow-white mountaintop with nothing at all. They were stuck but did not give up. this retelling is a tribute to their resilience.

Directed by J.A. Bayona (also know for “The Orphanage” and “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom”), took the right turn and removed all opportunities for sentiment: no romantic vistas, no philosophical reflection or heightened sensationalism. By concentrating on the raw and factual reality of the plane crash, this narrative of the plane crash cleverly concentrates on the passengers.

Those passengers, all still in shock from what happened, crawl out of the plane wreckage as best they can and quickly get to work. They distribute the food supplies that consist mostly of small snacks. They decide to turn part of the plane into a place for the wounded, where two doctors-in-training still try to nurse them. The deceased passengers they lay firther in the snow. They make a large cross with suitcases, put on many layers of clothing and explore the area. After three days, where they still felt optimistic, everything gets even worse.

The story is told from the quiet but courageous twenty-five-year old Numa, who cares that his friends don’t just give up. they miss their families and want nothing more than to return home to finally hug their parents. Numa and his fellow passengers are played incredibly naturally, realistically and lovingly. The history of their friendship and the naturalness of their togetherness is clearly palpable. The actors impress.

Despite the incredible hardship and hopeless situation, there is always someone who, despite the reality of their circumstances, is still determined to get their friends out. This film shows that friendship can be a source of resilience.

Rating: 4/ 5