Movie Reviews

Alive

Movie 30: Alive (1993)

Cast:

Nando- Ethan Hawke

Movie Information:

Running time- 2 hours+

Rating 18A for disturbing content

Based on a true story.

Hollywood movie based off the documentary  film: ‘Stranded’

My Rating: 5 Stars

Movie Summary:

          A rugby team also including family members and friends from Uruguay are on a plane to Chile for a championship game. While flying over the Andes the plane flies to low and hits a mountain. The tail and a few passengers with flight attendants are pulled out the exposed back and are killed instantly. When the remaining plane finally stops in an open piece of snow everyone in the plane is in shock. Nando hits his head and is unconscious. Everyone else tries to help each other. They are torn to pieces when some realize the friend next to them is dead or family members are dead. The team captain takes charge in leading everyone. The group pulls out the dead bodies and lays them out. They take the seat covers from the airplane chairs to use as blankets and gathers all the food they have which is chocolate, some crackers, and wine.

            A few days into their situation the group spots a rescue plane close by. They shot and wave their arms but the plane leaves. Since the plane had dipped its wings they all assume they will be rescued either today or tomorrow. Night comes and they are sure they will be sleeping in a bed tomorrow. Nando has also awakened from his comatose state. Just to find his mom dead and his sister dying. That night some of the people still awake crack into the food bin and eat and drink the remaining chocolate and wine.

          The next day no rescue planes or service helicopters show up. One of the people find a radio in a luggage. They find out they have not been spotted. The group leader then discovers they have eaten the last bit of food. A couple of days later the group is weak and hungry. Three men decide to go looking for the tail of the plane for a way to signal someone. After a cold night away from the plane they end up only finding a few chairs with corpses in them from when they were sucked out. They slide back to camp, too hungry and weak to continue.

          It is then that Nando makes a remark to eat the dead bodies. Most are against the idea but some think about it. They are so hungry they are taking desperate decisions. One night they have a vote, who wants to eat the dead. A few say yes and promise that if they were to die, they give permission for the others to eat them. Only a small handful of people don’t want to eat.

          The next day one of the men cut through one of the dead bodies and eats it, he hands it out to the others.

          A few nights in the last remaining woman, (Nando’s sister has already died) is telling her husband she wants to have more kids. She promises she’ll start eating the dead tomorrow. She doesn’t make it. A large avalanche fills the plane. About five people have died including the woman. They spend the remainder of the night digging out the plane. The next day they spend all day in their weak state to clean out the area.

          As days go by the summer season is approaching and the snow around the plane has thinned out and melted. Nando and three other men have gone to the tail and find it, they try to fix the radio but it doesn’t work. They end up continuing walking to see if the green valleys of Chile lay on the other side of the mountain. They reach the top to see more mountains but continue to climb over that mountain. At the top of that mountain they see another mountain. This time though that mountain doesn’t have any snow on the peaks. One of the men turn back while Nando and the other continue. At last they reach greenery after the mountain and a lake.

            Back at the airplane days later and two more people dead a helicopter comes to pick them up with Nando inside. He reunites a little red baby shoe with its match that his friend had at the airplane. At the end I believe 16 had lived and 20 something had died. THE END.

Movie Review:

          This was a very touching and sad movie. I held back tears, it was just an amazing movie. I watched some of the documentary and was practically crying. It’s a true story and this movie is almost an exact replica of what happened. It’s amazing how these people were able to survive. They had to eat friends and family. Not only was it emotionally scarring but also physical. It was a great movie.

            I had only seen parts of the documentary film, because I found it too sad to watch as these real people talked about their experiences and the lost they had. It’s so amazing.

            I also really liked Ethan Hawke, he is one of my favourite actors, and it was pretty neat to see him in his younger days. This movie was one of his firsts.

            I beg you, please watch this movie, it was so amazing, this story deserves to be watched, and oh, my God, I don’t know what else to say, this movie left me speechless.