In 1972, a Uruguayan airplane crashed in the Andes mountains, beginning a devastating story of survival and loss. After spending some time in the fictional worlds of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, director J.A. Bayona returns to reality with Society of the Snow, a gripping new feature that depicts the story of the passengers on the fatal Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571. As Spain’s entry for Best International Feature at the 2024 Oscars, Society of the Snow comes with a certain amount of expectations, but I felt just as unprepared for what was to come as the bright-eyed, eager passengers were at the start of the movie.
Society of the Snow
- Release Date
- December 15, 2023
- Director
- J.A. Bayona
- Cast
- Matías Recalt , Agustin Pardella , Felipe González Otaño , Luciano Chatton , Valentino Alonso , Francisco Romero , Agustín Berruti , Andy Pruss
- Runtime
- 144 Minutes
Watching Society of the Snow is not an easy experience, but it is a rewarding one. Bayona’s technically impressive examination of what it means to truly fight for one’s survival against harrowing odds surely stands as one of the best survival films, made all the more effective because of the truth behind the shocking tale. Forty-five people were on the plane when it left Montevideo, Uruguay, and in the end, only 16 came out of the Andes alive. Even knowing that several of the characters we’re spending time with will indeed live doesn’t lessen the horror we feel at what they have to endure, or the sadness we feel for each life lost.
Society Of The Snow’s Heart Lies In Its Characters
Most of the people on the plane belonged to the Old Christians rugby team, though they were accompanied by loved ones. Such is the case for Society of the Snow‘s narrator, Numa Turcatti (Enzo Vogrincic), a friend of the team who is coaxed into joining the trip as one last hurrah before graduation. With Numa speaking to the audience from the very first moments of the movie, he becomes the heart of it, and Vogrincic gives an excellent performance as the quietly honorable character.
With so many characters to contend with (29 passengers survived the initial crash), it can be difficult to get a clear sense of each individual person. Nevertheless, Bayona takes steps to honor each one, whether it be through flashbacks to their few moments of happiness prior to the crash or the list of names that appear onscreen whenever a life is lost. It’s sobering, yet earnestly reverent.
Society Of The Snow Doesn’t Shy Away From The Horrific
When the plane goes down, Bayona doesn’t cut to black or leave the harsher details to the imagination. The plane splits in two in a graphic sequence that shows what a body truly endures when caught in a horrific crash, leaving no illusions about how Society of the Snow intends to tell this story. Bayona presents the reality of the characters’ situation without judgment, which is important as they reach the point where hunger becomes the most pressing issue. Through discussions of faith and morality, the characters weigh what it means to quite literally survive on the bones of their dead friends, and their unflinching approach to such matters is devastating and fascinating.
Still, even amid the terrifying reality, Bayona, who wrote the script with Bernat Vilaplana, Jaime Marques-Olearraga, and Nicolás Casariego (based on the book by Pablo Vierci), injects enough moments of levity to show why these people never gave up. There’s a sense of hopelessness that hangs over nearly every moment, but even as more friends die, Bayona keeps that faint thread of hope alive. Characters such as Nando Perrado (Agustín Pardella) continuously plot ideas for achieving rescue, and to pass the time, the survivors engage in a silly rhyming game during one scene that is simultaneously funny and heart-wrenching. There’s a tricky tonal balance here, and Bayona somehow pulls it off with success.
Society Of The Snow’s Technical Aspects Are Incredible
Society of the Snow also deserves special praise for its technical work. While the movie itself was not wholly filmed in the Andes, Bayona perfectly captures the deadly beauty of the snow-covered mountain range, showing both how spectacular they are and how cruel they can be to human life. Along with the efforts of cinematographer Pedro Luque, production designer Alain Bainée, makeup artist Ana López-Puigcerver, and hairdresser Belén López-Puigcerver, every aspect of Society of the Snow feels real, to the point where I had to burrow under blankets, feeling the chill as the survivors battled the icy winds and snow.
This goes a long way to aligning the audience with the characters; their triumphs and losses are things we feel alongside them. For example, when they get a radio working, only to hear that the rescue efforts have been suspended for the time being, the sharpness of that disappointment digs deep. This is also through the efforts of the Society of the Snow cast, who pour their hearts into their characters’ devastation and waning strength. As the survivors face setback after setback, Society of the Snow runs the risk of settling into an unrelenting monotony, but each scene still rings with urgency, even when it’s two characters talking about their beliefs. Above all else, this movie does not hesitate to remind us that these people lived.
The remaining survivors’ rescue is inevitable thanks to history, but it still comes with a fierce rush of elation. I couldn’t stop myself from getting choked up at Society of the Snow‘s final moments, which came laced with a poignant reminder that some wounds will never actually heal. With this movie, Bayona has crafted something difficult and striking, and it’s a worthwhile examination of what the human spirit can endure. It won’t be for everyone, but those who watch it will no doubt find something special here.
