Alive
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Movie Reviews of Alive
Movie Review: ONE OF THE GREATEST SURVIVAL STORIES EVER FILMED...
Summary: 4 Stars
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.
Movie Review: Great effort, but could of been SO much better
Summary: 4 Stars
I didn't particularly care for John Malkovich as the narrarator. It would have been awesome to have had the "REAL" Nando Parrado do the intro, I just finished reading his book "Miracle in the Andes" and he is awesome at expressing the real feelings and articulating the experiences endured. Also, I don't care for the fact that they changed the names of the characters that did not survive, it is my personal opinion that this was disrespectful to the memory of those who died on the mountain.
Having said all this, I do give the film an "A" for effort. The effects of the crash scene were awesome, the overall message conveyed was on the mark. Most of the acting was first rate, with the exception of a few cheesy lines here and there. My only other concern was that there was SO much of the story left out. The whole drama the familes went through back at home, the long trek by Nando and Roberto was seriously condensed and the reunions were omitted. By far, the book Alive by Piers Paul Read will give any reader the "whole" story and leave you with so much more than this movie ever could.
Movie Review: Treats a controversial event with dispassion and balance
Summary: 4 Stars
I avoided this film for years, because I knew of the story and the sensational aspects of it. However, I was stuck for a week in Norway, and this film came on, so I watched it.
It was a lot better than I thought it would be. It's not a story of mad cannibals, but a serious story of survival and engineering your own rescue when the world had all but forgotten you.
Ethan Hawke and Vincent Spano star in this film that realistically recreates the terrible crash in the Andes of the Uruguayan rugby team. Most of the passengers and all of the crew are killed on impact, or die soon after. Their bodies quickly freeze in the violently cold conditions high in the mountains. The story of the survivors, and how they improvised their own survival are nothing short of miraculous.
I was pleasantly surprised I enjoyed the movie so much. Many people are familiar with a few aspects of the story, but not too many have seen the film or understand how the remaining few were rescued.
Recommended.
Movie Review: Tragedy In the Andes
Summary: 4 Stars
Based on a real story of a plane crash high in the Andes, this film portrays the story of the survivors who managed to stay alive for months in the grueling winter atop the mountains. I expect that the actual event was more frightening and difficult than what was portrayed in the film, of course, but it is still a compelling story. The acting is a little less than first rate, but the story here is the reason to watch as these people struggle to stay alive despite unbelievable hardship, forced to make decisions that no one should ever have to consider just to make it back to civilization. I could feel the icy coldness and the gnawing hunger and found myself wondering if I could do what these people did to survive. I found some of it hard to believe, but it is all true. A real testament to the will of man to survive despite the odds. I've seen this movie three times already, but I had to buy this DVD so I could watch it again. A compelling, heartwrenching, courageous and inspirational film, not to be missed.
Movie Review: POWERFUL
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a powerful film. The crash scene is within minutes of the beginning titles and is one of the most effective, gut wrenching things every filmed. The story is handled well, and the film does not make the story mellodramatic. Neither does Frank Marshall exploit his R rating by filling the film with nudity and countless F-words, as many films today do. You need to see this film, you won't regret it,