MovieChat Forums > Alive (1993) Discussion > How did they eat it without getting sick...

How did they eat it without getting sick? (spoilers)

posted 9 years ago by Slavic
10 replies | jump to latest

So how did they eat raw human meat without getting sick? Is it even possible? It wasn't a jerky. Wouldn't you feel sick or just get sick by eating an uncooked meat? Someone might have died from getting an infection or some other disease and you would eat their meat after that? If I were them, I'd cook it on bonfire first.

[–] palisade-1 9 years ago

So how did they eat raw human meat without getting sick? Is it even possible?

The situation was far from ideal, obviously. However, the risk of infection was low, as the uncooked meat had been subjected to freezing, which effectively kills most bacteria. The victims of the crash and the avalanche were healthy people, not suffering from diseases or infection, so the risk there was small to begin with. Since the two boys who survived who developed gangrene and infections that followed from their broken legs would in fact have been health hazards to consume, their bodies were among those not used for food. Others who were spared were relatives of the survivors (Nando's mother and sister, a cousin of Daniel Fernandez and the Strauch cousins, and Javier's wife and nephew).

You mention cooking on a bonfire, but the stranded survivors did not have enough fuel to do any such thing. They occasionally burned paper money, but there was almost nothing they could use as fuel for a fire. They were thousands of feet above the tree line, the materials in the plane were mostly made of synthetic fabrics, and there was very little paper.

[–] Slavic 9 years ago

That all very much makes sense. Thank you for your thorough answer.

"What we got here is failure to communicate."

[–] Jeannette_Mary 8 years ago

I've wondered the same thing. Great answer palisade. Thanks

"Sometimes life hands you lemons that are worth 2 in the bush, I like kittens."

[–] mystolibaby 8 years ago

palisade1 answered quite well. Although I think I remember in the book they did try to cook the meat but it shrunk. AS well as the energy and time it took to cook it was more efficient to eat raw.

[–] Alice-Morgan 8 years ago

The low temperature in this case helped that. The meat froze killing any possible bacteria/infections etc.
Gagging aside, it'd be hard to digest though.
So go on. Kiss me. Kill me. Do something.

[–] Galilguy (2527) 2 years ago

Watching this now, I can't believe he cuts a piece of skin off a dead guy's hairy ass when there's a hairless woman lying right next to him.. I mean come on! I laughed out loud hard at that.

[–] Drooch (5333) 2 years ago

They decided to start with the pilots since the crash was ‘their fault’.

[–] Galilguy (2527) 2 years ago

Starting with their ass? ok..

[–] Drooch (5333) 2 years ago

Of course, it’s the most soft, fleshy part.

[–] SteveRes (514) a year ago

The reality was even worse than what the movie showed. The movie was watered down, in the books they talk of eating brains and people's hearts. How it didn't make them physically ill I'll never know, just from a psychological perspective.