| The
Review: |
Watching Frank Marshall's "Alive"
is like watching a regular action movie, with all its glorious
stunts and unbelievable setpieces: you see it, but you don't
believe it. I, myself, had a great deal of trouble accepting
the events of this film as factual, but indeed, in the 1970's,
a plane did crash, survivors were left stranded without a
hope for being rescued, and yes, many of those who perished
were selected to be the blue plate special as the days droned
on. ***
The story begins fittingly enough
with a plane crash of intense proportions: it's quick, it's
fast, and it goes right for the stomach. It occupants include
the members of a South American rugby team, and various others,
some family members of the players, others we never know much
about. The plane hits a rough weather patch and is turned
into scrap metal, save for the forward and midsection, which
lands relatively in one piece on a snowy plateau encased by
the Andes. Shaken and stirred, bloodied and bruised, the survivors
work frantically to remove the dead, save those still alive,
and gather supplies and what little food they can muster.
***
Their situation is grim: small snacks,
candy bars, and four bottles of wine are all that are left
for rationing, and the cold winter nights take a harsh toll
on those too weak to make it until morning. Several members
of the group perish, making it all the more clear to those
remaining that they have two choices: either wait in hopes
that the rescue efforts will prove fruitful, or venture out
in search of the plane's dismembered tail section, where a
store of battery power provides hope for regaining use of
the radio transmitter. ***
here are so many scenes in the movie
that beg to be unfairly scrutinized, such as that which involves
an avalanche that sweeps the remains of the plane and its
occupants underneath a blanket of snow, taking more lives
and stirring more dread. In any other movie, this would be
the point at which critics and cynics would cry out against
the convenience of such a tactic, and in most cases they would
be right. But the key to fully grasping the magnitude of the
perils seen in "Alive" is to accept them as fact: they did
happen, they are documented, they were witnessed and experienced
by actual people who exist in reality. ***
For the most part, thanks to a straightforward
tone by the filmmakers, the movie doesn't lose interest. We
see the underlying fear in the eyes of the characters, their
calm attitudes a testament to their enormous bravery in the
face of such tragedy. The tactics of survival come one after
another, giving us little time to question whether or not
it is ethical or moral to feast on the flesh of your fellow
man in order to stay alive. We care for the characters, not
so much singling any one person out as much as collectively,
and their fight for life is one that ranks as one of the most
heroic and courageous feats in human history. ***
But there are things about the
movie that I just can't ignore. Granted, it is well-made and
extremely heartfelt in many place, but it's the little things
that keep it from soaring, like the needless inclusion of
John Malkovich's narration, which bookends the movie, or the
sporadic counting off of the days as "Day 1," "Day 23." And
how about those accents, not to mention the abundance of white
American actors in the roles of South American rugby players.
***
Most importantly, the film is all
too intent on sugarcoating these events with sweetness once
the rescue crew arrives; are these survivors really so elated
about their salvation that they have completely forgotten
about the tragedy and loss of their ordeal? It may not be
as such in reality, but this is what the movie portrays in
its victorious undertones, and for me, it just wasn't enough.
A little retrospective thought from the characters would have
benefitted the film immensely, not a silly epilogue informing
us of the monument and burying of the dead. ***
What became of the survivors? Are
they broken men, burdened with memories and turmoil? Are they
coping? Are they full-time cannibals? What? The film ends
all-too-abruplty, leaving us with nary a clue as to an aspect
of the story that, quite frankly, would prove ten times as
interesting as the event itself. I contest that yes, "Alive"
is a movie with heart, merit, and tremendous human spirit,
but I wanted to know more. --
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| Image
and Sound |
The 1.85:1 anamorphically enhanced
image is a well-done transfer that captures the cold, icy
feel of the movie's setting without compromising clarity or
quality. Colors vary in their appearance as being drained
and lifeless to warm and hopeful, and saturation efforts have
payed off here. Fleshtones are appropriately red in colder
sequences, while appearing accurate during daylight hours.
Considering the large amounts of snow, the picture looks surprisingly
clean, with little noise or distractions in the way. It lacks
the eye-popping wonder of a transfer for today's more technically
achieved movies, but it's still commendable just the same.
***
The sound is miscredited on the
DVD cover as Dolby 2.0 Surround, when it's actually a 5.1
track that sounds nice in many respects. The action sequences
get the most attention, such as the opening plane crash, which
wraps into the surrounds forcefully and resonates with rich
bass. The rear channels are engaged sporadically for the occasional
windgust or musical swell, while the overall track tends to
be front-heavy; dialogue sounds natural throughout.
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