Description

Alive - DVD | The True Story of Survival in the Andes Mountains

Product Information

UPC: 5014437809230
Product Type: DVD Movie
Genre: Survival Drama/Biographical
Language: Multiple (English, French, German, Italian, Spanish)
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 (English)
Subtitles: English (for hearing impaired), English, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish
Format: DVD, Widescreen 1.78:1
Duration: 121 minutes
Release Year: 1993 (Film), 2009 (DVD release)
Director: Frank Marshall
Age Rating: 15 (Not suitable for persons under 15)
Region: Region 2 (Europe)
Distributor: Paramount Home Entertainment (UK)

Overview

"Alive" tells the extraordinary true story of one of history's most remarkable survival tales. On October 13, 1972, a plane carrying a Uruguayan rugby team crashed high in the Andes Mountains. Several passengers died in the crash, but most survived the initial impact, only to face the brutal reality of being stranded in sub-zero temperatures with no food, minimal shelter, and little hope of rescue. After eight days, they learned via radio that the search had been abandoned. As their supplies dwindled and starvation set in, the survivors were forced to make unimaginable choices to stay alive. After enduring ten weeks in these harsh conditions, three of the young men—Nando Parrado (Ethan Hawke), Antonio Balbi (Vincent Spano), and Roberto Canessa (Josh Hamilton)—embarked on a heroic trek through the mountains to find help, ultimately saving their remaining teammates in what became one of the most inspiring tales of human endurance and determination ever documented.

Product Features

Format: DVD, Widescreen presentation (1.78:1)
Audio Options: Multiple language options with English in Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitle Options: Eleven language options including English for the hearing impaired
Special Features: "Miracle of the Andes" Documentary
Picture Quality: Color
Runtime: 121 minutes approximately
Compatibility: PAL format (Region 2), compatible with European DVD players

Interesting Facts

The Real-Life Event:

The film is based on the true story of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, which crashed in the Andes while carrying 45 people, including members of a rugby team and their families. Only 16 survived the ordeal, enduring 72 days before rescue.

Survival Decision:

After learning that rescue efforts had been abandoned and facing starvation, the survivors made the controversial decision to consume the flesh of their dead companions—a choice that proved necessary for their survival but sparked ethical debates worldwide when the story broke.

Literary Basis:

The film is an adaptation of the 1974 book "Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors" by Piers Paul Read, which documented the crash and subsequent survival story through interviews with survivors.

Production Challenges:

Director Frank Marshall filmed in the actual Andes Mountains to capture the authentic environment, with the crew facing many of the same harsh conditions that the real survivors encountered, albeit with modern equipment and support.

Survivor Consultation:

Several of the actual survivors, including Nando Parrado (portrayed by Ethan Hawke in the film), served as consultants during production to ensure accuracy in depicting both the physical challenges and psychological aspects of their ordeal.

Cast and Crew

Starring: Ethan Hawke (Nando Parrado), Vincent Spano (Antonio Balbi), Josh Hamilton (Roberto Canessa)
Director: Frank Marshall
Screenplay: John Patrick Shanley
Based on the Book by: Piers Paul Read
Producers: Robert Watts and Kathleen Kennedy
Director of Photography: Peter James, A.C.S.
Production Designer: Norman Reynolds
Film Editor: Michael Kahn, ACE
Music: James Newton Howard