The Day After Trinity (documentary - 1981)

The sky was the limit

By: JWBM

Anyone who's seen imagery or heard stories from World War II wouldn't argue that it was anything less than primal, traumatic, gruesome, and life-changing for all involved. Each side—whether they were Axis or Allies—had goals in mind to come out on top. One could say this war was a technological and scientific race: from aeronautics, code breaking, chemical warfare, weaponry, to, here, bomb making. Decisions were often made higher up in the food chain and then carried out by those people handed down their orders to follow. Every attack at that point had a counter; what made the proposition of the atomic bomb different was it would have a total one-sided success rate. Once it was dropped, everyone on the opposing side should start saying their respective prayers.

In the beginning of the war, Albert Einstein proposed to the US government that German physicists were well on their way to developing the atomic bomb. US Major General Leslie Groves appointed Robert Oppenheimer—a highly respected American scientist—to lead teams towards beating Hitler and his physicists to the punch. This led to a remote area in New Mexico that would be not only secretive, but would also be used in case there was fallout if successful. Eventually all walks of the scientific elite came together and formed a community that would make it their set goal despite budget or having a social life outside of the complex. The sky was the limit—literally.

One of the most important points made in this documentary and one that some of the scientists grappled with once the smoke cleared, was what could a bomb of that size do on its own, and what would happen if it was dropped on living, breathing persons? All this manpower, time, and resources poured into this project, and more importantly all those young, countless soldiers' lives lost. Germany was out of the picture now, but Japan would not cease fire despite efforts to come to a deal made by then President Harry S. Truman. It was a decision not for the feint of heart, nor one without a compassionate heart. What took years to develop, now came to fruition and was being used before anyone could think twice about it. The impression was that the American people—who had friends and family involved with the war—could go back to their lives. Oppenheimer felt otherwise about something so quickly and massively destructive.

It's interesting to hear the thought processes that led up to the atomic bomb. Though being made in '81, this is a slower moving documentary than most nowadays might be accustomed to. A share of the people being interviewed are dry and slightly eccentric academics that speak freely and at their own pace. There are no rapid edits or gravitating music to sway the viewer. It takes on one word and point at a time without jumping around. Though, in that regard, one can be assured that these were the direct opinions and viewpoints of those involved. This mixes science and politics; something that looks like oil meeting water. The latter half of this documentary focuses on just that: Oppenheimer's rise and fall from both politics and science due to a series of complexities.

Director: Jon Else
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: Youtube link

White Light, Black Rain (HBO documentary - 2007)

How does one survive after the impossible?

By: JWBM

From the ordinary and mundane, to instant destruction and calamity— flames, death, and horrifying imagary to those still alive—these are the accounts of the fateful days in August 1945 when two atomic bombs were systematically dropped and detonated on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan during the tail end of World War II.

One could argue using the bombs was a culmination of events leading up to it: from possible payback for Pearl Harbor, or even what the Japanese military did to Nanking, with senseless rape, destruction, and death tolls estimated to be 200,000. Though, without getting too political—if that's possible for a depiction of war—this HBO documentary hones in on the regular Joes and Janes of Japan and the US, then examines how it impacted them then and in the time since.

"Little Boy" and "Fat Man"—as the bombs were called—caused near obliteration. It was a miracle that anyone survived; many didn't leave in one piece: in body or mind. All that they knew at that time vanished in an instant, like a colony of oblivious ants devastated by a stick of TNT. Except these people had names, personalities, families, and lives to look forward to. The ones that moved on and lived a full life, despite the obstacles, were able to share their thoughts and how it affected them. Some describe it point blank, while others have trouble repeating the words that come with an inseparable feeling of trauma, or with permanent imprinted images in their heads. Many have extensive injuries, such as missing appendages, unexplainable medical issues, and deep scars. The amount of will power and endurance some of these survivors went through—and are still going through—during their recovery period is commendable.

"White Light, Black Rain" is clear, concise, and moving. It gives room to breathe over other documentaries that were held back by time constraints, available resources,  adequate budget, or a lack of focus. It sticks to a dedicated purpose to those who survived without attempting to take on other aspects that can't be changed or that would steer the tone into another direction. There are whys and hows talked about here, though its sights aren't on military history or to dissect blame. It's going for an intimate and compassionate look at these peoples' lives that were blessed enough to have another purpose after something so nightmarishly chaotic. My favorite interview was with Katsuji Yoshida of Nagasaki who goes on to talk about his mother's support and love, along with his gotta-move-on outlook, and ability to smile wide despite people's unfavorable looks and treatment. Others, due to plastic surgery, may look fine from the outside, but may be sole survivors from an extensive family, haven't been able to have children of their own, or seek constant treatment from something that has baffled doctors throughout the years since.

Some of the imagery and spoken descriptions are intense with detailing the aftermath. This isn't a feature to put on for a happy Saturday afternoon, though if you're looking for another perspective to these events at the end of World War II that comes with a message, then this does an excellent job at giving viewpoints with enough emotion to affect one for days.

Director: Steven Okazaki (Living on Tokyo Time; The Lisa Theory)
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: Youtube link

The Hunt for Nazi Scientists (PBS documentary - 2005)

Allies versus Axis: A race for technological advancement

By: JWBM

Towards the latter portion of World War II, technological advances were heating up to a boiling point. More clever and destructive means were being invented and employed to get an upper hand in the war. It was to the point of being a coin toss of who could have come out on top, or who would have been crushed savagely by boots below.

Jewish physicists—that fled from Germany to the United States—warned the American government that Nazi scientists were on the track to inventing the atomic bomb; considering they were the first to split the atom, along with to discover nuclear fission. The US didn't waste time and implemented their own action plan: "The Manhattan Project." A man by the name of Robert Furman was recruited to head a parallel mission to dismantle Hitler's nuclear program with the objective to halt head Nazi physicist Werner Heisenberg in his tracks.

Meanwhile, Germans were simultaneously attacking European targets with neighborhood-flattening self-guided missiles that were near impossible to stop once the course was plotted. It was unlike anything anyone has seen before, or knew how to react fast enough to handle. British intelligence assembled their own team—30 AU—to stop or capture German rocket engineers, including their leader: Werner Von Braun, a Major in the SS; along with Hellmuth Walter, inventor of advanced fighter planes that could put a spin on things to come. Once the dust settled after the war, there was controversy due to their expertise being too tempting not to exploit by the US and Russia.

This uses a combination of interviews with living persons of interest, archive footage, re-enactments, and voice over to tie it all together. There's a high quality and seamlessness to it. For the most part, it keeps a steady momentum by highlighting certain pivotal points. However, it acts more as an overview—you won't get an exact time line, or the means to show everything or everybody behind the scenes. By being a little longer, it could have benefited by showing Russian, Italian, and Japanese points of view. That's where a lengthy history book would end up filling in the gaps to the rest where this medium—PBS' "Secrets of the Dead"—might pose a challenge as a televised event. It seems more to loop you in to a specific window of history that was classified and secretive for decades after the war. I found myself engaged and captivated by all this technological advancement in such a short time; while other portions then showed the grave consequences those led to. It was a mixed time in history, where scientific advancement was at an all time high level, no doubt, though things nearly escalated to a point of no return.

Director: Mark Radice
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: Youtube link
PBS: Episode link

Night and Fog (documentary - 1956)

One of mankind's darkest chapters

By: JWBM

When one reflects on the rise of Nazism, it's commonly viewed as the extreme of one group of people deciding that other groups are inferior and must be experimented on or extinguished outright. It feels surreal to think it was taken to this level in the 1930s and '40s—a time when technology, sciences, and the arts were all flourishing and attempting to make us more enlightened human beings. While there were specific atrocities and nightmarish realities that led up to and were a cause to intervene with a second World War, this documentary is essentially a haunting reminder and remembrance of people and places. 

This French made film—released in 1956—opens the doors to concentration camps and what they were capable of with earlier archive shots, along with some present footage then. These were ruthless, uncompassionate machines that stripped identities, robbed all hope, and made those cast under its shadow have a sense of worth to that of compost. To me, this was one of the clearest indicators that the bubble we live in can pop at any time. We're all just a thin layer away from being exposed to the darker side of humanity if not checked. 

Reading excerpts and hearing testimonials is one aspect to get the message through as to what happened, though seeing the amount of frail, nearly lifeless people on the verge of death before your eyes is a harrowing experience in itself. What got me after a culmination of scenes, was where people died as mere skin and bones, and were then bulldozed into a ditch of sorts like a soon-to-be-forgotten waste of space and resources. It makes the mind race as to what those people would have become, and how another could so easily crush another if given free reign. 

This documentary is eye-opening and is known for providing the naked truth as to what happened in visuals and commentary. This would be a no frills work if it weren't for the steady background music and poetic tellings of these people and places. It can be harsh and relentless with the amount of suffering and travesty shown, though it's purposeful in its intent and would be a disservice if it held back. This piece isn't necessarily well-rounded as a reporting tool of the surrounding events: there are no interviews, spoken first hand accounts, or even variants in tone. Being only 32 minutes in length, it often gets to the point and moves on; occasionally jumping around and providing some unintentional overlap. There isn't necessarily hope or contrast here either, though, if history took a different turn, things may have been decades of further inhumanity. With that, the message is clear. 

Director: Alain Resnais

Info: IMDB link

Trailer: Youtube link

The Omen Legacy (2001)

Tales of eerie coincidences and prophetic alignments

By: JWBM

Up to the point of this documentary, "The Omen" series—four films, and a stand-alone TV pilot—proved to be a mixed bag. Hands down, what catapulted the idea and cemented it into the minds of the general public as a dark force not to be reckoned with, was the first film, which—after four decades—still holds up to this day. The others came with their own moments to shine in the darkness, along with areas that should have remained in an unseen idea drawer.

The format of the documentary takes on each incarnation with a sort of scene by scene reshowing to recount the motivations, reasons, and the unexpected that came before, during, and after filming was a wrap. In some respects, it demystifies some of the movie-making magic, while other tid-bits seem to add more mystery to the overall dark aura of the franchise. Anything from Donner's technical input into Katherine Thorn's  infamous fall from the banister, to David Warner's almost superstitious aversion to seeing his character of Jennings decapitated through realistic looking means at that time. Some of the shots of the first film initially being released were interesting to see: how it could have been a huge success, or a flop to audiences at that time. This was back in a period when you were doing something new and daring and then having to create a market for that as well. Something the remake 30 years later didn't have to do. There's still some honesty from some of those interviewed, such as Lance Henriksen—who starred in the second film—going on to say that the producers were looking for anything out of the ordinary to use in their marketing campaign to upsell the films.

"The Omen Legacy" is more of a glossed over retelling than a deep analysis. It's much more for someone to get inspired to watch the films again, versus someone who has them fresh in their mind to then watch this after. You can see the enthusiasm and feel the aura surrounding the films, though if you're looking for something to knock your socks off after experiencing these films several times over, the content feels lighter than you'd expect for an hour and forty minute documentary.

Info: IMDB link

DVD extras include: trailers for films 1-4, plus a seven minute promotional of "Damien: Omen II." 

Columbine: Understanding Why (A & E documentary - 2002)

A tale of two; a tale of many

By: JWBM

Back in April of '99, I was at the tail end of middle school—about to start the intimidating leap to high school—when the news came on about the horrendous shooting in Columbine, Colorado. I was nowhere near that state, but it still seemed to hit home after finding out it was just two suburban high school age seniors that massacred fellow classmates and injured many more. A year prior, one of my teachers had addressed a shooting at a middle school in Arkansas where two kids armed themselves to the teeth and then pulled the fire alarm to draw everyone out. Then after, we had to wait for the principal to confirm over the intercom that it was a legitimate drill till we could file out of the classroom safe and sound.

To hear of another the next year seemed a little much. Afterwards the fences went up, security got amped up, and everyone—adults and students alike—were touchy about anything said or done. Back then, not everything was as minute by minute as it is today with instant information at the touch of your fingertips. So, there were times where bits and pieces of the story were only heard and then passed on, which only added to the fear and misinformation that these two incidentally generated on that dark day. No one was in a playing around mood. Since, things have never been the same.

A group of forensic scientists called "Threat Assessment Group," or T.A.G.— that consists of a psychiatrist, violence prevention expert, former FBI profiler, a psychologist, and doctoral candidate—take on the task of a psychiatric autopsy of the two shooters. Being three years after the fact—not to mention the amount of litigation stemming to the parents, to the Sheriff's department, to the school—it was a tough sell to get interviews or even all of the evidence they needed. They approached nearly 200 people with calls and letters, but got only 19 on camera, and another 31 off. Not all of these you get to see. In fact, you only get to see a few brief interview segments in the documentary's under-an-hour run time. Some are vague at that and are only translated second hand from the group. The leader of the group—psychiatrist Park Dietz—developed 12 warning signs of mass murderers that they attempt to line up to the pair. The rest of the documentary focuses on the duo's motivations concerning why they stormed into Columbine High School with the intent of taking as many innocent lives as possible.

One interesting aspect talked about is their fascination with filming and documenting the entire planning process. They made home videos together, and then wrote in separate journals of their detailed thoughts outlining the plan. Being inspired by the Oklahoma City Bombings of a few years earlier, they knew that the media would pick up on it to dissect each shred of evidence. They'd be infamous. It goes to show that they were self-aware at what they were doing and the choices they were going to make. It wasn't an impulsive action that they dreamed up shortly beforehand. They mentally and physically prepared themselves for this. Predictably the media did run with it and there were copycats.

There were snippets of warning signs spread about that other people noticed as abnormal, but no single person put it all together that either of the two were deeply troubled enough to do anything on this scale. They kept their ideas in a closed loop. Similar to how a cult can operate with morally questionable practices and how people can go along with it. Each idea this pair had was repeated and reinforced enough that bad ideas became good ideas without an outside influence to offset their one track mind. Both were suicidal and filled with growing rage. They were described from an early age as being gifted in academics and over-achievers. They redirected their intelligence towards getting away with petty crimes at first, then planning a massacre instead of towards normal goals related to school, or even life after. Their attitude reflected that they were above it all and everyone else around them. They needed someone to blame for their inexplainable inner turmoil. Which, you can imagine, to a short-sighted 17/18 year old is their high school that they attended for the last 4 years. To them, this established a needed purpose and direction as misguided and morally questionable as that was. One could say, 'Guys, you'll be out in a month or two and be free to become bosses to spit on those that spit on you.' But to them, this was their World. The rest was too far off.

This short documentary shed light on some aspects, while other areas are applied to educated guesses. Some specials that have come out since have filled in other pieces of the puzzle a little better. It would ultimately take several books from several angles to unravel all of the intricacies involved. Though it was informational for its time to getting a loose grasp of the duo without being as reactionary as the initial reports in 1999. People were ready to point a finger at anyone and everyone. But I feel that is the problem with some of those involved beforehand. The T.A.G. group—while a little rocky with dissecting new forms of media such as "Doom" and "Natural Born Killers"—looked at it more clinically. They were not just self-destructive, but outwardly as well. They demanded respect, power, and control without actually setting up proper steps to earn those, or how to improve on themselves. Granted, saying that after the fact and off the cuff is wishful thinking. But it's ultimately what got them to walk down this dark path of no return in the first place. Unfortunately, some of the victims and witnesses will have to live with that for the rest of their lives, while others never got a chance.

The Lobotomist (PBS documentary - 2008)

An over-looked portion of history for mental health

By: JWBM

There have been significant cures and groundbreaking treatments in the history of the medical field. Some of them stumbled on by accident, while others took years and years of research with a collective team till a breakthrough occurred. Lobotomy, on the other hand, is something that started out as one man's hopeful popularization of a procedure to alleviate country-wide mental health issues that were in a state of desperation, to coming with tragic consequences and repercussions for a share of those involved.

Back in the mid-20s, the state of affairs of mental hospitals were hopeless for extreme cases ranging from agitated depression to psychosis. It was a common practice to hold people with debilitating mental disorders behind locked doors—or even strapped down—in these massive state run quarters away from the general public. It was a means to an end due to few changes being made to help alleviate the overall situation. Dr. Walter Freeman made such a visit to one hospital during this period and it affected him enough to want to take the bull by the horns. His maternal grandfather, William Keen, was a pioneer brain surgeon in the 1800s. Being a fresh, young doctor, Freeman also felt that he was destined to do something great from then on out.

Back in the 30s and 40s, it was considered in bad taste to question another doctor in the public eye. Instead of asking for advice or going through the proper channels, Freeman bypassed the red tape of his peers by going straight to the press to sell them a form of a miracle with lobotomy. It's a complex story with reasonings coming from all sides that reveal it may have been what some needed at that particular moment. According to a "Life" magazine article from 1946, mental hospitals were "a shame and a disgrace." These hospitals were overcrowded, underfunded, and understaffed. There were cases where the staff resorted to beatings to keep people in line. Some patients resorted to suicide from not being able to cope with their mental condition and their surroundings. However, the catch of Freeman's transorbital lobotomy was that it was a one-size-fits all procedure that didn't address the nuances of every patient and their specific state. Being a respected doctor at that time and walking through the door of a poor or segregated hospital meant there were no questions asked or even release forms signed. There's also no going back from the brain damage that it caused. Truth be told: it was never a good temporary fix, nor a successful permanent one either.

This is also a story about his obsession with this procedure being successful to the point of being blind to its pitfalls. He went from having a neurosurgeon and an anesthesiologist present, to then using an on-the-fly, cost-effective method where he held the patient down and tapped an ice pick into their frontal lobe with a hammer by way of their eye socket. This wasn't a practiced, well-defined medical procedure. It was essentially a roll of the dice that relied on some luck that things would be okay in the years to come. The mid-50s saw the first antipsychotic drug marketed. Then after, the medical community—that once lauded Freeman—were turning their backs on the man who now looks like nothing but a clean up henchman in a snazzy white coat.

This documentary is as tragic as it is informative. This sheds some light with different perspectives on not only this doctor's tale of success to failure, but also the state of mental health for the earlier part of the 20th century. Those looking for the entire history won't get it in the 50 minute run time, but that doesn't stop the documentary from delivering enough interviews and footage to put you there in some pivotal moments it was happening.

Info: IMDB link
Trailer: Youtube link

I Am Alive (2010)

Like ants placed in the middle of an ice box

Since two motion pictures, A & E, PBS and National Geographic have jumped in after the newspapers and best selling books, The History Channel gives it their turn surprisingly with a formative take even after all of the documentation before it. This time around the main perspective comes from Fernando "Nando" Parrado who played a key role in the Andes plane crash of 1972. The Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 involved 45 passengers, including a team of rugby players called The Old Christians and other family and crew, who were on their way to Chile with no danger in sight until the pilot makes a grave error that caused everyone involved to make impossible decisions to hang on for survival in a weather stricken region with no wildlife or vegetation in sight.

A share of the tone of this documentary is somewhat calm and relaxed and more text book at first than other mediums that have concentrated on putting the audience in the now from a dramatic side. Towards the latter half with Nando and Roberto going through the mountains, they can't help but tell the story with straight feelings, as that's all they had to back them, apart from their skin and bones which nearly gave out. Both of the segments from A & E's "Minute by Minute" from 2002 and National Geographic's "Trapped" from 2007 tried to do the subject in under an hour by concentrating on the main portions of action, but still didn't give a completely thorough approach or show exactly how they got to each one of their motivations apart from jumping dot to dot. Those served more as introduction pieces to further the ambitions of upstarting TV shows and point to another medium. Though "I Am Alive" stands on its own by being thoroughly researched, even if you've seen the other documentaries on the subject. It doesn't seem forced with distracting poetic license or snazzy filmmaking. While they still give some brief reenactments, this focuses on getting a clear perspective from facts and fine details with passionate interviews from the survivors and related experts who still find the experience endearing and engrossing this many years later. This includes mostly spoken English with some overdubbed Spanish.

"I Am Alive" unfolds like a picture book with a share of information and visual representations of the accident and the 72 days that followed. While moving "Stranded" documentary from 2007 focused on the spiritual bonding of friends and how they viewed their situation from an emotional context, this is by far out of the documentaries that I've seen the one that gives the most clear and concise technical understanding. For instance, precisely how and why the plane crashed. There are even diagrams with historians telling their track record. "Of the 78 Fairchild FH-227s built, 23 crashed, and there were a total of 393 fatalities." There are real life pictures of where they hit the mountains, and then CGI graphics to show how lucky they were to land just so to have not made a sudden impact and disintegrated. The surrounding area is shown of exactly where they ended up on the side of Argentina, not in Chile like the pilots anticipated.

As the events come up, the experts give facts about head injuries, starvation, avalanches, inventing devices from supplies, traveling through the Andes and mountaineering. A climber and a team went back to cover some of the same distances Nando and Roberto did, which took them 10 days and 37 long and hard miles till they seen green. Photos were taken of the road that Roberto saw from the top of the first summit that they argued about at the time if they should head that way, but at that point being lost, unsure and hungry and then making the wrong move could have been life or death. I found it interesting that they discussed if they went east towards Argentina instead of west towards Chile if their chances would have improved. In the after author Piers Paul Read talks about his book "Alive" and the fear from the survivors of how it would be written after all of the sensationalist press around the globe.

What's mostly effective about "I Am Alive" is they weren't frequently making justifications for their actions after the fact. Nando carries the bulk and speaks somewhat unscripted as if he knows the story like the back of his hand. At times they still speak their piece, such as Nando calling what they did "anthropophagy" rather than cannibalism, since it didn't follow murder. At other times he speaks rather candidly, such as explaining that the avalanche saved the remaining people's lives due to it covering them from further storms, and then incidentally taking 8 more bodies that they used for food for the remaining days till they could trek out when weather conditions improved. It says a lot for him and the 15 others, but not so much for those that didn't make it out. It does state some facts a little directly and somewhat coldly as a result, though, on the other hand, it leaves room for the viewer to decide their stance. What makes this work is it's capable of uncovering more answers from stepping back somewhat and not making this completely a heavy hitter that "Stranded" already did so well.

Rating: 9/10

Director: Brad Osborne
Link: IMDB

Stranded (2007)

United in the Andes

Native Uruguayan director Gonzalo Arijon, who later located to France, was friends with some of the survivors from the 1972 Andes plane crash where only 16 came back alive and many others were lost over the course of 72 grueling days. With his "Stranded" documentary celebrating 35 years since the devastation turned miracle for some, he's capable of getting the survivors to open up--in their mother tongue of Spanish with subtitles--much more than on past documentaries. However, even this many years later, they still get choked up when talking about certain people or scenarios. Each of them gives their own varied interpretations, yet compared to "Alive: 20 Years Later" from 1993 it follows a more gradual flow along with a time line to keep it focused and capable of growing from the outset with a viewer latched on to each word and picture of their harrowing story.

This moves fairly steadily at first before the passengers make it to the plane as if it's just another day, despite the superstitious date of Friday the 13th, in October no less. As it progresses, it cuts to longer shots to get a contemplative grasp as well as a down and close perspective of the situation and time period of the early '70s in the surrounding region of South America. There are some current still shots with individual survivors, brief past reenactments and various shots of them with friends and family today. Some of them return to the area of the site and see it differently now from an older set of eyes, yet can still recall exactly what they felt at a particular moment like it's seared into their head. This begins with various points of views before even getting on the plane, from one feeling like something was going to happen, to another thinking everybody looked their happiest. They speak about those that didn't make it as if it was only yesterday in either what they were doing prior to the crash or what they had planned when thought to arriving in Chile. It gives a look at their moment-by-moment thought processes and how they struggled to react to it all and attempt to grasp exactly what's going to happen next. Some kept to themselves, while others jumped in to help as if by second nature. However, as it moved along, they eventually viewed themselves as a sort of "new society" that had to do unfamiliar things that they wouldn't have done before, along with the fuselage feeling like their home away from home, partly because with failing health they had no strength, never mind stepping out to use the facilities or to leave.

They went through a varied range of emotions from the outset, as each day they didn't know if it was their last. They got to the point where they accepted death and realized it would have been an easier way out. There were some black and white pictures taken during the ordeal where some smiles are on their faces despite. Out of boredom, there were even some bets and verbal guesses on who would die first. Some pushed away feelings to go on with determination, while others gave up and it lead to their deterioration. It seemed like everyday was different, with some having strength at one point and at another losing hope, but so long as they had a support system to stay united they could carry on. Today some have guilt about why they made it and others didn't, as it was completely random as to what happened to whom. Their outlooks after the fact can be somewhat philosophical and give something deeper to learn from watching this. Then, on the other hand, this can be candid at times, from including more details about the cannibalism portion of their survival, to even mentioning that they made powder out of the bones for calcium because they were low on essential vitamins and nutrients. They speak of having to hit and pound on each other to improve circulation or else the cold could consume them, or having to rotate or stack themselves for warmth.

Some things are included that weren't shown in the "Alive" film, such as the search effort from the surrounding countries and parents that wouldn't give up, as well as the factors of why it didn't work. A few aspects also differed, such as one of the other people mentioning eating the dead first, as well as a few people at once eating a small amount at the same time. After the avalanche they also had to eat their friends around them that just died since the other bodies were outside. In my own personal view, I feel the avalanche stands out as one of the worst of the scenarios, since they were already down and struggling and yet another accident took more people that initially survived the crash, weather and hunger before that. Though it's interesting that a few describe their near suffocation almost serenely, which I would have guessed would have made me feel trapped and helpless, but then coming to might be more hellish than those few moments of pain till the beyond.

From a filmmakers stand point, "Stranded" is capable of changing up into different modes, locations and interviews with ample time to get an overall feel of what happened without skimping or glazing over important areas. It's not grand on past reenactments, but, then again, it gives you a visual for context and leaves the cinematic experience for the movies "Supervivientes de los Andes/Survive!" and "Alive." This concentrated on bonds and emotions, rather than being flashy or coming with a filmmaker's signature. This was emotionally capable without being overly manipulative--bar slow pianos and extended strings--or even having to show the people break down on camera to get the message through. It puts the harsh realities into their place without always holding back, though still with respect to the other families and their friends, as a share live in the same area and word gets around for those that are trying to forget. This shows that they got bombarded with news stories--some sensational, some compassionate.

"Stranded" portrayed what took away their hope and also what gave them strength, such as their families back home, present friends and faith to give them a crutch to go on. There's something to learn here despite their circumstances being a special case that would more than likely never be repeated again. This was documentation at its finest, and stands as the definitive audio and visual experience of the Andes crash in 1972 at this point, even over both movies, which serve mainly as mere introduction pieces compared to the amount of information here.

Rating: 10/10

Director: Gonzalo Arijon
Link: IMDB

Alive in the Andes (2007)

A stylized retelling

This was fittingly the first episode for a National Geographic television spot with episodes that ran under an hour that focused on disasters that involved people who were "Trapped." Those involved in the Andes mountains plane crash back in '72 carrying a team of Uruguayan rugby players along with other passengers, weren't trapped in an enclosed place with walls, but still locked down to a certain area by harsh weather conditions in a remote terrain with no wildlife or vegetation.

This is a high-octane version of the events that lasted 72 days in below freezing temperature, with a share of flashy filmmaking techniques to amp up the juices. Forty-five passengers get quickly dwindled down to sixteen and makes the Andes look like a serial murderer, with crude medical terminology to study its unfeeling ways. The reenactments--with English spoken with American accents--coupled with loud sound effects and bombastic performances hit the viewer with force as they over-emphasize to grab your attention by being the loudest person in the room. To its benefit, from what starts out in the viewer's face somewhat cools its heals and extends a few scenes to get some thoughts and emotional contemplation in about their impossible situation and what they had to endure. Though this still concentrates more on the action and movement of what they went through than always about the friendships, bonding or spirituality of what they felt, which ultimately helped them make it through. However, it did show the lengths Carlito's father went through despite it being a plane crash with record weather conditions and a number of days since. He felt his son was still alive and it was truly captivating by showing the other side of holding on to those that matter most.

This is challenging story to tell in under an hour's time frame for one of the most harrowing tales of survival in the last century since a share of landscapes turned into concrete jungles. "Trapped" did handle the events with more depth than A & E's "Minute by Minute" episode from 2002 titled "The 1972 Andes Survivors." Instead of learning from a spiritual stand point like the documentary "Stranded," that also came out in 2007, this takes educational facts about their surroundings with alternate scenes of CGI that shows a transparent human body, such as hypothermia and dehydration, and then what they had to do to overcome those obstacles. Still, there are chunks that are missing. At one point it's going with a day by day analysis, which helps to reasonably work up to why they had to eat human flesh for sustenance than sensationalizing it, then skips from Day 17 to 43. What's disappointing with a share of "Trapped" was it took an event from 1972 in South America and attempted to translate that to audiences nowadays. Though it feels like it carries more of the modern times than how those people lived or what was going through their heads that was relative to the year. It feels somewhat hip and trendy to 2007, and carries more a style and trademark from the filmmakers to the point of being distracting in areas from those originally involved. The narration adds flavor and includes a characteristic voice, yes, though it still seems out of place with his flamboyant, oddly syllabified proper English.

Rating: 6.5/10

Director: Tim Wolochatiuk
Link: IMDB, video on Youtube

The 1972 Andes Survivors (2002)

A pep-me-up retelling

This was a 45 minute spot from a TV show called "Minute by Minute" that ran from 2001-2002 on A & E. This recounts the story of the Andes survivors, from before the original 45 passengers stepped onto Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 destined for Chile all the way up to when the 16 remaining made it back home from two members of their party trekking over the mountains from rescues being called off. This is a good starting point if you've never heard of the events before, or only in passing and want to know more in 45 minutes.

This was a snappy retelling with the intention of getting a viewer's heart racing to see what happens next, rather than being thoroughly informative despite the show's title of "Minute by Minute." If you've seen either the films "Supervivientes de los Andes" or "Alive" or even read one of the books, this isn't going to say very much that's new, except to possibly show them at the 30 year mark still alive and living life to the fullest is captivating in itself. I did find it interesting to note that they didn't go straight from Uruguay to Chile, which some of the other retellings show, but had a layover in Argentina due to the weather conditions, but then proceeded forward the next day anyway. The meat of what they went through is here (no pun intended) with quick edits and clipped narration with a steady flow of information to get charged by. Though for an emotional context, this doesn't always leave room for the characters to truly open up, since a specific person never says more than a few lines at a time, rather than to give a brief and succinct factual version of their account with frequent time lines displayed on the screen for that "Minute by Minute" touch that makes it feel too planned and not translate that everyday was unsure as the last.

This only gets a few perspectives of the account. It has spoken English interviews with Roberto Canessa, Canessa's girlfriend Laura Surraco, Fernando "Nando" Parrado, Carlitos Paez, Coche Inciarte and Inciarte's fiancee Soledad Gonzalez. Dubbed English with General Jorge Massa (Chilean Air Force), Carlitos's father, Father Andres Rojas and Dr. Jose Ausin (first doctor to examine them). There is still enthusiasm to tell their tale even after 30 years at this point. Though this isn't a story that can be effectively told in a short time frame, since major events don't happen one after the other. They went through 72 intense days with an array of emotions to battle, one of them being that they didn't know if they would live or die tomorrow or after going to sleep. What actually happened to them is more a slower crawl till the light at the end of the tunnel, than the usual survival in the wilderness story where you can put emotion on the back burner to stay alive. On the other hand, for a viewer who gets touched fairly easily, the tone here is kept somewhat upbeat and hopeful in most areas, despite what the survivors have stated they felt on other days in different interviews. I guess that shows what the power of editing can do.

Rating: 6.5/10

Link: IMDB, video link Youtube

Alive: 20 Years Later (1993)

From up to 72 days to 20 years later

"Alive: 20 Years Later" is a companion documentary piece to the 1993 film "Alive" that fills in some of the gaps of what the movie couldn't slow down to show in a reasonable time frame. This is broken up with spoken English and some dub overs in Spanish, along with a narration courtesy of Martin Sheen. Survivor Nando Parrado speaks a majority of the time, along with some others such as the Strauch relatives as the time progresses.

Twenty years later and a share of the sixteen survivors look back on what was going through their heads and how it has affected them up till the present day of the early '90s. There's behind the scenes shots of the movie "Alive" that show Nando and a few others visiting the set as technical advisors. Actors of the film are only shown from a distance as the focus is more on the real life people. Though there are some brief interviews with the filmmakers in between. The fuselage that was built to recreate the aftermath of their accident is so accurate according to one survivor that it brings back instant memories. They fill in some of the gaps of the 10 day journey through the mountains that also involves the final rescue and knowing that everything was okay at that point. Some black and white photographs are shown in the after with faces buried in beards but smiles of elation emerging from underneath.

Many of the survivors live in the surrounding area as not only to each other but also the ones that didn't make it out. Even though the families are reminded with their presence, they have to be careful with what they say, as it can get around to someone who is trying to forget. Therefore, the bodies that were used or in what order are never disclosed. They speak about some divided views of whether or not it was right that they ate their friends to survive, which was hot on people's minds right afterwards. I mean, "Soylent Green" had a related twist that caused people to reel in their seats just a year later in '73; not to mention that point was only in the script and not in the prior novel. Their priest gives his thoughts of the events, along with some who did the act and how it affected them, or whether they would do it again. There's honesty here with admitting to not being as strong and then others who did more not wanting to be considered heroes. No one wanted to be there but they made the best of it and use it as a growing point to live on. It's an inspirational story that shows how much spirit a group of human beings has. Most of us never had to do even a fraction of what they did, and probably will never have to, so it's something to hold in the back of one's mind as a reminder.

As a definitive documentary, this doesn't capture everything. Though as a piece to give a sampled overview of the events, "Alive: 20 Years Later" works in that regard as it gives out various snippets of information and shows some visuals of the then and now. The behind the scenes of "Alive" are only briefly covered and none of the performers spoke of how the role affected them or how they prepared, nor how it came to be made into a movie again. Also, some sections feel like they're too compacted and succinct to give room for contemplation or to feel the emotional impact. This is told somewhat out of sequence and with some roving thoughts pertaining to the events, which doesn't always make it progress or grow from the outset when it jumps back and forth. This is relatively brief and sometimes to the point in areas like either the filmmakers or the interviewed have somewhere else to be. That or the editor went a little overboard or they had to fill only a select time frame since it clocks in at around 50 minutes. There are still some interesting tidbits that aren't in the "Alive" film, nor "Supervivientes de los Andes/Survive!" from '76 based on the same events.

Rating: 6.5/10

Director: Jill Fullerton-Smith
Link: IMDB