Review of Alive (1993) by Michael L — 10 Nov 2011

Everyone who knows the story of the rugby team from Uruguay who crash landed in the Andes in 1972 knows all the sordid details about cannibalism that took place. "Alive" is the definitive film version of that event, and we discover there's so much more to the story than that. The movie is full of high drama and the story pulls you in instantly. Even now, it's hard for me to tell a lot of the secondary characters apart, but it still affects you when one of them is lost. It's a simple human emotion, and the film is quality enough to keep you watching and rooting for these people to survive.

The picture is smartly written, and the cannibalism is set up as a real moral dilemma and not just something sensationalistic to help sell tickets. The first film made on the subject, called "Survive", was a completely ridiculous B-movie, but this is much more complex. You'll be talking about what you would do for weeks afterwards.

Frank Marshall is a talented filmmaker, and nowhere is that more evident than in the plane clash itself. t's one of the most realistic, gripping and traumatic crash ever captured on film. Ethan Hawke is a talented actor, and his cool, introspective performance is a real highlight here. I only had a problem with the casting simply because it's hard to buy Hawke, Vincent Spano and Josh Hamilton as rugby players from Uruguay. They're all a little to white.

But, for the most part, "Alive" is an inspirational and moving film that has some real unforgettable moments. And, perhaps most importantly, it's respectful of the victims.