Überleben!

The highest compliment one can pay to this movie is that it's no better or worse than the 1993 version of the same story ("Alive"), despite its having been produced on a much lower budget, with more primitive special effects. The problem is that if you're familiar with the story, there are no surprises left; you're simply waiting for the inevitable. It must be noted, however, that the "gore" factor has been considerably hyped up: the scenes that are "not for the squeamish" amount to a total of two. (**)

When this picture came out in 1976 on theatres I and my father went to watch it, sadly due my tender age they didn't allowed me enter to see so disturbing picture, thus I'd beg to him watch it as long as he report the whole picture aftermaths, the time goes by and just in 1984 I'd another opportunity to watch it on TV, everything what my father told to me were still fresh at my memory, over this terrifying accident at Andes mountains.

The fatal flying from Uruguay toward Chile taking on board a rugby team among passengers crashed at frozen mountain at winter season in 13 October of 1972, afterwards the survivors stranded at mountain trying to a radio contact, meanwhile at ground strong efforts were made for a searching and possible rescue by several countries led by Uruguay Air Force and even by civil aircrafts without success, the helpless passenger between the starvation had a hard choice to do cannibalism to survive.

This Mexican poduction had a smashing box-office in Latin America, featuring the great Hugo Stiglitz whom Tarantino has great regards, based on the book wrote by Clay Blair Jr, adapted by Rene Cordona Sr. It astonished the world and the audience, therefore it wasn't easy to watch so unsetting cannibalism sequences, I'd to skip these loathsome scenes, among 45 passengers and crew just 16 have been survived in 73 longest days at freezing spot, due the heroic deed of two youngest self-sacrificing survivors.

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First watch: 1984 / How many: 3 / Source: TV-Youtube / Rating: 6.5.

Almost 20 years before Frank Marshall brought tears to your eyes with his mesmerizing epic "Alive", there already was the legendary Mexican exploitation director René Cardona who used the same drama as an outline for his ambitious film "Supervivientes de los Andes". The unforgettable fatal flight of Fairchild 571 that crashed in the Argentinian Andes on October 13, 1972. This terrible accident cost the lives of many passengers, most of them members of a professional rugby team. But 16 people of them were eventually rescued thanks to their strong will to survive and because they fed on the mortal remains of their unfortunate fellow-passengers. Of course you can't claim that this cheaply made and roughly edited film is better than the famous 90's version but I definitely appreciate and respect this film more. After all, an exploitation film demands a lot more input from both cast and crew while the big-budgeted Marshall film, although intense, feels more like routine money-making. The sets and special effects naturally can't compete with "Alive", but "Supervivientes..." delivers an equally impressive sentiment of hopelessness and creates an even more nightmarish hell of snow. Cardona's film is ambitious, surprisingly compelling and easily one of the most remarkable Mexican productions ever. I am really astonished that Cardona's take on this story isn't more exploitative and explicit. The scenes where the deceased passengers are cut open and consumed are nevertheless hard to digest, but they only serve to increase the credibility of the catastrophe and to stress the inhuman conditions of the survivors. Rather praiseworthy for a vicious director who gained fame with his notoriously bad films like "Night of the Bloody Apes" and the Santo-series. The unknown young Mexican actors do a great job and the musical score is endearing. The story is well-known, of course, so the screenplay doesn't offer any unexpected shocks. Either by history or previously having seen "Alive", you know which kind of dramas these people still have to endure before being rescued and you can only await them. Still, this is a good film that shouldn't be bashed like too often is the case.

This movie made so much money for Paramount Pictures that it made the producers went on to produce many big films. All they did was pick up a Low-budget Mexican film, clean it up, and ad some scenes and released it wide all across America. The plot is based on a true story of the Andes Mountain Plane crash where the survivors had to eat human flesh to survive. (Disney later remade this film and called it ALIVE and hired many white casts(?!). At least SURVIVE is true to real life as they were mostly Mexican on that plane). The so-called graphic violence is cheap and cheezy and is shown un-cut on Tv alot. Recommened if you are into these type of film. The director went on to make Universal tons of money in GUYANA CULT OF THE DAMMED 4 years later.

The father and son directors Rene Cardona Sr. and Jr. (the king and prince of Mexican exploitation!) first international hit movie. The Cardonas has given me hours and hours of quality entertainment and my expectations for Survive! was naturally mountain-high, being their most talked about and hyped efforts (amongst exploitation fans that is). I was really surprised to find out that the movie is actually a pretty dull affair. I suppose the negative imdb reviews should have scared me off, but the Cardona-flicks always get bad reviews, and hey - I would have seen it anyway. You all know the story, based on an actual incident: A plane crashes in the Andes and the survivors are forced to eat parts of the crash victims in order to stay alive. Much of the running time is filled up with endless talking and the moral issue of their survival is stretched out far too long for it's own good. The movie is not at all as gory as they say - I saw the uncut version and still feel that Alive was much gorier. I'm no real gorehound, but in such a slow moving picture as this a little more flesh and blood really would have spiced things up a bit. I would not say the movie is a complete waste of time, it does have its moments, but unfortunately it lacks the speed and charm of movies like Carlos, Hostages!, Night Of The Bloody Apes and Guyana (amongst others). See them before you see this.