Some of humanities greatest qualities can be found when the odds are stacked against us. In moments of survival, only then can we find out who we truly are. Will you give up and let the elements, diminishing supply of water and food be your demise or will you fight for your life, becoming stronger than you ever anticipated. These stories of extreme acts of courage can be found in every corner of the world, inspiring hope from the resilience, proving that humans are capable of just about anything they set their minds to. J. A. Bayonaโs Society of the Snow does just that โ telling a beautiful story that can inspire the best in all of us in a life-or-death situation.
Based on the novel of the same name La Sociedad de la nieve by Pablo Vierci, the story written by Bayona and Bernat Vilaplana, Jaime Marques and Nicolรกs Casariego follows a Uruguayan rugby team set out for Chile on Air Force flight 571. But the flight never makes it to its destination with 45 passengers on board, as the flights course goes through the Andes mountains, one of the most unpredictable flight paths, causing the plane to crash in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by snow and below freezing temperatures.
By day 2, only 28 survivors remain as food and water become scarce, and over the course of the film, those numbers dwindle due to the hostile environment. Social dilemmaโs begun to set in. Bayona does a remarkable job putting us in these unfortunate souls shoes. What would you do to survive? And throughout the 144 minute runtime, every action these survivors take is tirelessly argued over from a religious standpoint and from a survival standpoint. Almost as soon as the very little canned foods that get rationed run out, the question of cannibalism to survive is put up for debate. No matter how wrong it is, desperation will set in, surviving is the only option.
Bayonaโs film does its best to get to know the survivors for those who are new to the story โ following several on their own personal journeys of resilience among the larger group. Not everyone has the strength to dig out the body of the plane from the snow or to go on expeditions in search of help. While the injured and the weak stay back for rescuing purposes, Numa Turcatti (Enzo Vogrincic), Roberto Canessa (Matรญas Recalt) and Nando Parrado (Agustรญn Pardella) venture out into the unknown in the hopes for finding someone who can help.
Their courage in the face of death is something to marvel at. You can feel the pain of every death this group experiences but also get to cheer in their triumphs, however miniscule they are. One of the expeditions sees three of the survivors squarely in the elements, their only shelter is huddling up next to an exposed rock. By the time morning hits, itโs a miracle they survived, breaking free from the frozen snow like they are hatching from an egg. How no one that we see died from hypothermia is nothing short of the ability of those to never quit โ their only goal is to get back home to their families and loved ones.
With the Andes mountains serving as the backdrop of this devastating true story, J. A. Bayona gives this true story a spectacle look from the mountain range but balances with a personal and intimate human story of heroism. We see the Andes from the perspective of the survivors โ itโs never ending, unforgiving and non-biased. Cinematographer Pedro Luque marries the beauty of this desolate, still and silent area of the world with human tragedy and triumph. At just about every turn, something unpredictable like an avalanche can make the situation go from bad to worse.
But still the survivors never yield to their situation โ banding together to save as many as possible.
For 144 minutes, Bayona is in total control of his film. The director beautifully honors those who passed in this tragedy while telling the story of the living authentically โ seeing the best in humanity despite doing things that bring out the worst in people. And even when there is little to no hope from the survivors perspective, the group never forgets their own humanity. Smiling through the pain, feeling together in their tumultuous situation, laughing, taking pictures as if they almost forget theyโre in the middle of nowhere, stranded with countless rescue operations failing to find a sign of life.
Every single person has their motivation to keep pushing forward and Bayona puts you right there with them. Every victory no matter how small will have you cheering and every setback will be a reminder to catch your breath and keep going no matter how hard the climb up will be. The atmosphere created by Bayona and Luque fills the room with a sense of panic and claustrophobia but thereโs also a sensation of pride. Even in the openness of the Andes, Bayona makes you feel trapped with the group, like youโre 1 of 16, time is running out and there is no hope. These 16 survivors over the course of 71 days represent the best in humanity โ proving that anything is possible when itโs a life or death situation.
Giving up is easy, living and pushing forward is the hard part.
Society of the Snow will take your breath away. Not from a lack of oxygen after an avalanche buries you feet beneath the surface in snow but from the beauty of the human spirit that comes from this harrowing tale. Bayona is at his best behind the camera, telling a vulnerable, raw but triumphant story among a terrible tragedy and a deep trauma that follows. Air Force Flight 571 like many other disasters remind us to live each day to its fullest, that life can end in the blink of an eye, and it can happen to just about anybody. With plenty of disaster tropes spread throughout the film, Bayona handles them in stride, telling a story that will pull at the heartstrings of anyone who watches.
Screenplay By: Bernat Vilaplana, Jamie Marques, Nicolรกs Casariego & J. A. Bayona
Directed By: J. A. Bayona
Music By: Michael Giacchino
Cinematography: Pedro Luque
Starring: Enzo Vogrincic, Matรญas Recalt, Agustรญn Pardella, Felipe Gonzรกlez Otaรฑo, Tomas Wolf, Diego Vegezzi, Esteban Kukuriczka, Francisco Romero, Rafael Federman
Where to Watch: Netflix
Original Language: Spanish
Edited By: Jaume Marti & Andrรฉs Gil
Release Date: December 22, 2023
Running Time: 2 Hours 24 Minutes
Based On: La Sociedad de la nieve by Pablo Vierci
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