A good survival film that's not as harrowing as a more exploitative film would have been. It's an interesting approach in that it cares less about the suffering of the people and more about the humanity and beauty found in the situation. In that way it can also be corny and by underselling the more painful moments it leads to less uplift later.The opening plane crash scene is still something to behold. All the interiors seemed to me to be practical effects and they looked great (exteriors were a CGI plane). I'm sure there are some who will say it hasn't aged well but that's only because what they're seeing isn't over- edited or shiny and everything is tangible and comprehensible which might be confusing, I guess, to some.

I think I can safely say now that 'Alive' is a classic. It is a family-oriented movie and at the same time true to the story. It is not a personal film or gory, as it would be if made today.I was lucky to experience it when it hit the theatres in 1993, I have the book at home that my mother bought when it came out, so I was already familiar with the story.We all have seen various plane crash sequences in movies, each time more elaborate, but there is not any that impressed me like this one and felt more realistic. I felt chills the first time the plane appeared, with the dark beginning of the interview setting just the right mood.The rest of the movie is entertaining, we get to feel like the characters, and the snow and mountains looked so real on celluloid. I admit that some moments were made for tension, like the hanging from the rock, but it's all right. It explains the camaraderie, faith and hope that drives the story. I will never forget the take when they finally reach the green valley and the water with that camera panning.It was one of the truly cinematic moments of the 90s, before the actual era where movies come just one more out of hundreds. When we all went to bed at night reliving the images and music that we saw at the theatres. Alive was one of them.

Alive is an emotional harrowing film based off the real-life event of the fatal plane crash in the Andes Mountains which stranded sixteen survivors for 72 days. This film may have some issues (mainly involving editing and a little script issue), but there is no denying the personal affection we feel for the characters as they struggle to survive. For a 1993 film, this film has some good special effects as the plane crash was very convincing.Frank Marshall's film is about the fore-mentioned crash in the Andes and it talks about how these men survived in the harsh winter environment with nothing but chocolate and wine. Later on, the film goes on to mention the last resort effort in cannibalism to stay alive, which is really hard to watch even though this is what saved their lives.For a film that doesn't have a big-name cast, the acting was really good and they all added depth to their characters. The only familiar names are Ethan Hawke and Vincent Spano. I really valued Hawke's character, Nando because of his bravery as he went out to find civilization.Overall, Alive is a movie that does the unthinkable and effectively tells an unfilmable event into a harrowing, emotional story. This film has one of the best endings you'll ever see in film, and it will be difficult to hold back the tears while Aaron Neville's "Ave Maria," is performing. This film has great characterization and it's as if we went through the terrible ordeal with them. I rate this film 9/10.

This is the true story of a plane crash in the Andes and tells of the fate of the survivors.From the outset this film never fails to hold the attention. The plane crash is remarkably filmed and genuinely disturbing. The rest of the film concentrates on how the survivors cope with their predicament.The film successfully captures the fear felt by the survivors and the sense of dread that they would die on the mountain. The acting is pitch perfect and realistic. Although the film covers disturbing material it is dealt with sensitively and there a moments of humour throughout to lighten the mood a touch.In conclusion this is a wonderfully filmed and enjoyable film and comes highly recommended.