Revealing mistake: At the beginning of the "Day 50" scene, there is a shot of the "human" meat thawing - in the top right of the screen, a pig snout is visible. (01:13:00)
Alive (1993)
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Directed by: Frank Marshall
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Josh Hamilton, Vincent Spano, Bruce Ramsay
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Alive is a airplane disaster and survival drama set in Andes and based upon the true and harrowing experiences of the Uruguay Rugby team and others involved in the tragic crash. Much of the story is about the efforts of those stranded who lived through the initial event to remain living despite the extreme cold, dangerous terrain (including avalanche), lack of proper shelter, food, diversions, etc. for months until rescue. During that time and in desperation, some of the survivors resorted to cannibalizing the dead among them. The film tries to show that the choices made were in context to the dire situation and tried not to sensationalize or make light of the act, but asks the audience to question how far they might be willing to go to live through what the characters did.
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Suggested correction: There is no pig snout. That is the end of a sleeve that has meat in it for their trip.
Roberto Canessa: We're gonna die, you know.
Nando: Maybe. But if we die, we're gonna die walking.
Trivia: The guy who first follows Parrada and Canessa on their expedition to find Chile is nicknamed Tintin. In one of the most famous Tintin albums the cartoon hero goes to the Himalayas to find a friend who is reported dead after a plane crash in the mountains. Most likely a coincidence, but still notable.
Question: I'm curious as to why Paéz is the narrator in the beginning and end of the film, when the movie focuses mainly on Canessa and Parrada as main characters. Almost all of the boys are alive today, and even if they weren't it is not Páez himself who is being interviewed but John Malcovich as Páez. So I'm still curious as to why they chose Páez instead of Parrado or Canessa, as they are both alive today.
Answer: Keeping in mind that some parts of the audience were not familiar with the details of this story, using Paez as the narrator retains some of the suspense of Canessa and Parredo's journey across the Andes. If the audience is not told at the start that they survive, at least some viewers may have considered that one of them may die during their trek to civilization.
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