Tethered by Survival: a feminist review of Society of the Snow (2023)
A Cinematic Elegy to Survival
In Society of the Snow, director J.A. Bayona transforms a historic tragedy into a visually arresting tableau, inviting us to reflect not only on the will of human survival but what it means to sustain one’s identity amidst chaos. This film encapsulates the story of the Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 crash in 1972, which left a men’s rugby team and their families stranded in the Andes. The narrative intricately interweaves themes of community and endurance through compelling ensemble performances, drawing the viewer into suffocating intimacy with the characters’ dire circumstances.
Bayona’s dexterity with visual storytelling elevates Society of the Snow into a gripping saga as stark landscapes evoke both awe and desolation. The brutal beauty of the icy wasteland is mesmerizing in its scale, yet it functions as more than merely a picturesque setting. It’s a chilling metaphor for the isolation and erasure that women sometimes experience within male-dominated narratives. This structural choice becomes the base upon which the film attempts to build themes of interdependence and survival.
Gendered Silhouettes in a Narrative Avalanche
Despite its thematic ambitions, Society of the Snow faces challenges inherent in its historical framing: namely, the relegation of women to the peripheries of a male-centric narrative. While the film centers on a male rugby team and camaraderie that is undeniably essential for their survival, women primarily occupy roles as distant entities or passive memories haunting the men’s psyches. Their presence in the film is often a device to inspire the male characters rather than contributions with independent agency.
In the rare instances where women appear on screen, their narratives strangely orbit around their male counterparts, an unfortunate omission that reinforces patriarchal dynamics. Conversations between women, when they occur, are shrouded in silence far more often than dialogue, hinting at—and yet not adequately developing—how these female figures wrestle with their own forms of despair and resilience.
Yet, the film does provide small pockets of emotional authenticity where women’s voices are given brief but potent resonance. Unfortunately, rather than having these moments extend the narrative’s boundaries, they are frequently cut short, reinforcing their role as narrative springboards for the men’s journeys.
Survival’s Unspoken Sisterhood
The film adeptly examines communal survival, often emphasizing collective efforts without necessarily recognizing the gendered nuances therein. Moments where traditional roles are challenged, including instances where men assume caregiving tasks commonly attributed to women, are present yet lack elaboration. These could provide fertile ground for expanding the dialogue on shared labor and the collapse of rigid gender expectations during crises.
A particularly haunting score underscores the vulnerability of all human bodies against the elements, stressing shared experiences of survival. Yet, the same evocative sound design that captures the universal human core is also where potential for a more profound exploration into intersectional axes of identity promise unrealized potential. The silence around the unseen emotional labor that women are often expected to perform becomes deafening as the women in Society of the Snow inhabit the film’s white noise.
A Visual Epic with Room for Feminist Altitudinal Gains
Where the film excels is in its craftsmanship and visual narrative. Bayona utilizes extraordinary cinematography to underscore the precarious dance between life and death, interspersing broad, magnificent vistas with intrusive close-ups that capture the granular realities of frostbitten fingers and visible breath on an Alpine wind. His impeccable direction ensures that the ordeal feels visceral, giving breadth to the visceral battle against the elements.
In terms of narrative architecture, there is a cleaving attention to detail and a rhythmic pacing that instills the audience with a sense of urgency, yet also allows moments of introspection to breathe. The film’s temporal shifts between past memories and present desperation manage to enrich its emotional topography.
While the artistic majesty is undeniable—Bayona’s talents intertwine cinematographic elegance and delicate soundscapes—the film leaves its women characters tethered to quietude, thereby missing the opportunity to challenge the gender norms engrained in such survival narratives. Society of the Snow delivers an emotionally potent experience but falls into patriarchal pitfalls by not fully exploring its female characters’ perspectives.
Ultimately, Society of the Snow emerges as a poignant testimony to the human spirit’s resilience, but one that nonetheless misses the aspirational mark of inclusivity and feminist insight by leaving its female characters—and potentially groundbreaking narratives—snowbound.
