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‘Alive’
By Rita Kempley
Washington Post Staff Writer
January 15, 1993
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Let's face it, "Alive" is one big, bad idea: an earnest adventure about a Uruguayan rugby team whose members survive a plane crash in the Andes by eating their dead -- and wouldn't you know they'd already polished off all the Chianti! (Well, some kind of red wine anyway.) Those gobbets of raw flesh drying on the fuselage are probably just chicken. Still, it's not easy holding down your Goobers.A confusion of thinly drawn protagonists and grueling minutiae, the screenplay keeps us from developing any attachment to the characters -- a good thing considering that nearly half are about to become frozen food. Frankly, those wonderfully corny old high-in-the-sky "Airport" movies were more dramatically satisfying than this, a barren adaptation of Piers Paul Read's nonfiction bestseller, directed by Frank Marshall. "Alive" does open with a terrifically scary re-creation of the crash that occurred, coincidentally, on Friday, Oct. 13, 1972. Several passengers and most of the crew died instantly, but most of the team survived. Many of the severely wounded died that night in the sub-zero temperatures, though some lingered for months only to die of gangrene. The survivors tend the wounded and suffering as best they can, and at least one, Nando Parrado (Ethan Hawke), miraculously recovers from a serious concussion. It's a lucky thing, as he is destined to bring about their rescue after 72 days on the mountain. A natural leader, Nando fills a power vacuum when the once chipper team captain (Vincent Spano) falters under the strain. With their modest supply of wine and chocolate depleted, Nando persuades them to face the gruesome facts with help from his loyal lieutenant, Roberto (Josh Hamilton), who slices the first bit of flesh from a corpse's rump and forces it down. The others gradually follow suit and in time, the crumpled fuselage is ringed with butchered corpses. The good news: With protein in their bellies, a team of climbers can go for help. Just when they are about to get on their feet, however, they are buried under an avalanche -- leading to still more injuries and deaths. A ruthlessly optimistic fellow, Nando rebuilds the camp and boosts spirits, which they keep up through gallows humor -- "If you eat me, promise to clean your plates" -- and frequent prayer vigils. "Alive" means to be inspirational by focusing on the spiritual conviction and courage that helped these poor souls cope with this repugnant experience. But it's really only a testimony to the stamina of athletic college students. And to think that Disney had a hand in this. What next, "Bambi on the Spit"? "Alive" is rated R for cannibalism and ulcerating sores.
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