Society of the Snow, the movie based on the true story of the 1972 Andes plane crash, has premiered on Netflix. Only 16 of the 45 passengers on board Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 survived the 1972 crash. Their story of survival and sacrifice is the subject of an Oscar-tipped drama now on Netflix. Annabel Nugent recounts how the unbelievable true events inspired the movie.
This story of survival for almost 72 days was a miracle in the Andes. The movie is inspired by Flight 571, a plane that crashed in 1972, leaving a Uruguayan rugby team stranded in the Andes Mountains. The team had to survive without food or water. Finally, they resorted to cannibalism for survival. The movie is nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Golden Globes this weekend. It is also Spain’s official Oscar entry. But the question lingering in the audience’s mind is whether the story is a novel-based adaptation or a documentary.
Is the movie an adaptation?
To answer this question, the movie is an adaptation of Pablo Vierci’s book of the name Society of the Snow. It was originally published in 2009 and pulls together accounts of all 16 survivors of the crash. Interestingly, many of whom Vierci knew as children growing up in Montevideo, Uruguay. The flight was chartered to take the Old Christian Club amateur rugby team from Montevideo to Santiago, Chile, for a match. This shattering incident has been the subject of books, documentaries and multiple films, the most famous of which is Alive.
If this sounds familiar, you might remember this adaptation of the story 1993’s Alive, which starred Ethan Hawke. The same harrowing tale has been recreated with Spanish-speaking actors that premiered on Netflix. To know more about how this incident happened and who stands responsible, one must scroll down.
Why did the plane crash?
There were several errors that led to this nerve-wracking crash. First, the Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 was ill-equipped to make the journey due to its altitude limit and weak engine. They were flying in rough conditions as well. A survivor, Nando Parrado, once spoke to a source that he believed that he and his team should not have boarded the plane. “A Fairchild FH-227D, very underpowered engines, full of people, completely loaded, flying over the highest mountains in South America, in bad weather”, he said.
The next reason was the route. The condition of the weather was very bad and the pilot had to land early in Mendoza, Argentina. The bad luck harrowed further when they realised that the plane was leased from the Uruguayan Air Force and couldn’t legally remain in Argentina for 24 hours. Despite heavy winds, the aircraft took off again. While charting a new route to Santiago, the pilot realized he couldn’t fly directly to the area without going over the Andes Mountains, which were too high to pass through safely.
The pilot then chose to fly over the Planchon Pass. It was at a lower altitude. Almost nearing an hour into the flight, the pilot thought he had made it to Curicó, Chile. He alerted flight controllers that he arrived at the destination. They did not realize he was wrong and moved forward with approving his request to land. When the plane descended, it crashed directly into the Andes, splitting the aircraft apart. The crash tore off the wings and tail of the plane, leaving behind only the fuselage. Twelve people died from the impact, while others suffered life-threatening injuries.
Who were on board the plane?
The flight was chartered to take the Old Christian Club amateur rugby team from Montevideo to Santiago, Chile, for a match. Alongside, on board the plane, were family and friends. There was one stranger who had purchased a ticket at the last minute so she could attend her daughter’s wedding.
Conclusion
The story in the movie unfolds incidents after the crash of the plane and how only 16 of the 45 passengers on board survived. The wreckage was not found for more than two months. The movie unwraps a tale of sacrifice, friendship, faith, and, most salaciously, cannibalism.
Also read:
