Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good movie - great story, December 31, 2003
The plot has been described in other reviews. Well acted and directed, this movie recounts a great survival story, comparable to Captain Bligh leading all but one of his crew to safety after about 3500 or so miles in a small open boat (book "Men Against The Sea"), or Richard Byrd surviving the Antarctic while seriously sick and injured (book "Alone").
The fact that anyone even made it through the initial crash, then tobogganing at about 200 MPH down a mountain in a portion of airplane fuselage is unbelievable by itself. Add the fact that many people, prepared about as well as you or I in our living rooms, lived for 70 days way up on a frozen mountainside, makes it even more fantastic.
To top it off, after weeks of planning and preparation, two of the fittest members hike around and down a 13,500 ft mountain, then trek 50 or 60 miles in 10 days through utter exhaustion, to finally reach help.
It is difficult to really imagine the hardship they went through, even though it is essentially laid out on screen. The days or weeks of planning seemingly small events, and meeting with disaster on most accounts (finding the tail portion with the radio batteries, then having to go back to get the radio because the batteries were too heavy to carry, then not being able to fix the radio, etc.) is bad enough. I can not think of anything worse than having to eat your dead friends, for 50 days in a row, to just get through another day.
I'm going to finish the last 20 pages of the book tonight. It has a few more grisly details than the movie, and some failed search-and-rescue details, and maybe a bit more character depth as well, but this is one instance where the movie is nearly as good as the book. Unfortunately, the money apparently ran out near the end of the production, and the ending was a bit rushed and wrapped up just a bit too nicely, when in fact it was an arduous and tortuous experience down the mountain by the 2 men.
If you think YOU have it bad, watch this movie or read the book. Even athiests will thank God it never happened to them.
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20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
ONE OF THE GREATEST SURVIVAL STORIES EVER FILMED..., August 9, 2002
This 1993 docudrama capably illustrates the plight of those who were on the plane that crashed in the Andes mountains in October 1972. A Uruguayan rugby team, their friends, and relatives had chartered a plane to fly them from Montevideo, Uruguay to Santiago, Chile for a rugby match. Forty five people went down with the plane, high up in the Andes mountains. Seventy days later, only sixteen of them were still alive. This film is the story of their struggle to survive and the lengths to which they went to ensure that they would. The film was done in collaboration with some of the original survivors in order to lend authenticity of detail to the film. The filmmakers tried to recreate the experiences of those who were trapped in the mountains and were forced to resort to anthropophagy in order to survive. It is a well made film, which attempts to depict the ordeal of those who were on that ill fated flight. It pretty much follows the events outlined in the book of the same name by Piers Paul Read. The movie has breathtaking scenery of snow capped mountains. The crash of the plane is one of the most harrowing on film. The treatment of the issue of anthropophagy is not sensationalized and is grounded in the context of the faith of those who were on that fateful flight. All in all, the film is a well made and well cast accolade to the endurance and faith of those who were on that ill fated flight and struggled to survive, despite the odds against them. It is certainly well worth watching.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"HUMAN SPIRIT- The innate desire to triumph, December 14, 2002
...in the face of adversity."ALIVE is one of my top favorite movies. It's about the power of the human spirit to overcome anything. I love movies dealing with this topic. The movie begins with: "1972, A South American rugby team, together with some friends and relatives crosses the Andes to play a game in neighboring Chile." They never arrive at their destination...or do they? The anthropography (a branch of anthropology dealing with the distribution of man as distinguished by physical character, language, institutions, and customs) is one of the best developed I have ever seen in a movie. (Bravo to Frank Marshall!) This is one of the things I love most about the movie--watching the interactions with each other. I feel as if I know each one. All emotion and soul is bared here, from the deep love and brotherhood to the frustration and anger they feel. They survived many trials besides the plane crash and starvation which I will save for you to see. What impresses me most besides their will to fight and survive, is how, through it all, they kept God with them--through prayer and in their hearts. I have watched ALIVE countless times and wondered if I were one of them who would I have been? Obviously Nando (Hawke) I considered first, as well as the medical student and his fellow climber, Roberto Canessa. But I must say that Carlitos, is my favorite character and the one closest to my heart. With his remorse ("I yelled at her...God forgive me!") prayers (he led the group each night in Hail Mary), his humor ("Hey, I'll pay for the pizza if you go and get it!"), his spirituality ("Do you feel it?" What? "God. God is everywhere today.") his love ("I love you all so much."/"God bless you all.") and hope ("I had a dream last night, a tremendous premonition. I saw green fields and flowers--I could smell the grass. Your expedition WILL SUCCEED.") There is so much to learn and take with you watching this movie. Alive is a story that was destined to be told. My highest recommendation and 10/10 stars. Soar! Additional comments: "This film is dedicated to the 29 who died and the 16 who survived."
The music by James Newton Howard is the closest to perfect there can be for this movie. I especially love "Ava Maria" playing on the end credits. I must have this score. If anyone can help, please email me.
Do watch the all special features such as "Alive 20 Years Later" and two others. I deeply respect the actual survivors sharing their story with us and wish to say a heartfelt thank you. You all have touched me more than words can say.
o8E
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