# Recommend some survival stories in film **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 15, 2010, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-survival-stories-in-film/553832 "2010-09-15T12:08:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-survival-stories-in-film/553832/1 "2010-09-15T12:08:13Z")
One of my favorite genres of stories is the Robinson Crusoe type: _Man going about his business, man gets stranded somewhere, man struggles to survive, man eventually escapes and returns to civilization._ I’m looking for more movies of the story. I know about **Castaway** with Tom Hanks. \*\*Robinson Crusoe on Mars, Heaven Knows Mr. Allison, \*\* are some. Yesterday I watched **Flight of the Phoenix** , which qualifies, though I had never thought of it that way before. What else it out there? There have to be more. (I never saw the “new” Robinson Crusoe movie, but I’ll get to it.) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-survival-stories-in-film/553832/2 "2010-09-15T12:17:16Z")
**Swiss Family Robinson** , of course. I understand the 1940s version is really good, but nowadays you can only get the Disney version (which isn’t bad) Jules Verne had a big thing for Robinson Crusoe, and used the idea in several of his books, some of which became films. **The Mysterious Island** has been filmed several times. The 1960s Harryhausen version and the version folded into the silent **20,000 Leagues Under the Sea** retain the flavor of Verne’s original. His “Two Year’s Holiday” has been filmed at least once. It’s about a group of schoolboys marooned on an island. It’s as far from _Lord of the Flies_ as you can get. There’s Disney’s [B\Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N.\*\* with Dick van Dyke. Many have claimed that the film **Enemy Mine** , about two warring spacemen trapped on a planet, owes a lot to _Robinson Crusoe on Mars_ There are several versions of Robinson Crusoe, including the “revisionist” **Man Friday** , which tells the story from Friday’s point of view. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-survival-stories-in-film/553832/3 "2010-09-15T12:36:06Z")
Somebody help me here… several month back I saw a film where two friends are making a car trip together and crossing the American West they stop to take a short hike. Of course they get lost and the rest of the film is them gradually sucumbing to the heat, dehydration and frustration with each other over their plight. There wasn’t much dialogue and I’m thinking one of the actors was the brother of a more famous celebrity. The show was a little slow but strangely compelling. I found myself thinking about it for days afterward. **campp** , a reaaly good film that is somewhat like what you describe but with the isolation due to war is the WWII classic _Hell in the Pacific_. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-survival-stories-in-film/553832/4 "2010-09-15T12:48:25Z")
Do they have to actually survive? Would something like **Into the Wild** count? Also, the rugby team plane crash movie **Alive** seems to fit. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-survival-stories-in-film/553832/5 "2010-09-15T12:52:14Z")
[The Edge](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119051/) [The Naked Prey](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119051/) ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-survival-stories-in-film/553832/6 "2010-09-15T12:55:16Z")
Here’s a couple I found on Netflix Instant Watch. I can highly recommend both of them: As Far as my Feet Will Carry Me: True story of a guy escaping a Siberian prisoner of war camp shortly after WWII Sin Nombre: A gang member from Central America has to escape his gang after he pisses of the leader. He boards a train heading north. ---
**Author:** ![wedgehed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8edcca/32.png) [@wedgehed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wedgehed)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-survival-stories-in-film/553832/7 "2010-09-15T12:57:27Z")
Seconding [The Naked Prey](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Naked_Prey). ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-survival-stories-in-film/553832/8 "2010-09-15T13:15:44Z")
Wow, great responses so far! **furiously scribbling notes** Yeah, Disney, but looking for more adult pics. I’ve seen Mysterious Island, 20000, Enemy Mine, Alive was fun, Man Friday sounds good. I need to source Naked Prey, The Edge, Into The Wild, Sin Nombre. (Without name/no name?) WWII in the Pacific counts, so I’ll look for Hell In The Pacific. Another SUB-genre favorite of mine is the “Prisoner Escapes” genre, but for this thread I’m keeping with the “stranded” theme. But I do love prison movies, I guess for the same reasons I like survival movies. I’ll check into the Siberien story. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-survival-stories-in-film/553832/9 "2010-09-15T13:18:04Z")
I guess\*\* Papillon\*\* almost counts. For the futurists, nothing can beat **The World The Flesh and The Devil**. One of my absolute faves. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-survival-stories-in-film/553832/10 "2010-09-15T13:29:00Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Many have claimed that the film **Enemy Mine** , about two warring spacemen trapped on a planet, owes a lot to _Robinson Crusoe on Mars_ I’m sure they meant to say _Hell In The Pacific._ ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-survival-stories-in-film/553832/11 "2010-09-15T13:34:39Z")
> [@campp](#): > > WWII in the Pacific counts, so I’ll look for Hell In The Pacific. [1968, Lee Marvin, Toshiro Mifuni](http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&q=hell+in+the+pacific&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=EcuQTN-9GYL7lweJ2OjjAQ&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=6&ved=0CEMQsAQwBQ), it’s a killer flick. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-survival-stories-in-film/553832/12 "2010-09-15T13:36:21Z")
> [@](#): > > I’m sure they meant to say Hell In The Pacific. Nope. I saw the resemblance before I read those comments. ---
**Author:** ![Keweenaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Keweenaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keweenaw)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-survival-stories-in-film/553832/13 "2010-09-15T13:54:26Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > Somebody help me here… several month back I saw a film where two friends are making a car trip together and crossing the American West they stop to take a short hike. Of course they get lost and the rest of the film is them gradually sucumbing to the heat, dehydration and frustration with each other over their plight. > > There wasn’t much dialogue and I’m thinking one of the actors was the brother of a more famous celebrity. The show was a little slow but strangely compelling. I found myself thinking about it for days afterward. > > **campp** , a reaaly good film that is somewhat like what you describe but with the isolation due to war is the WWII classic _Hell in the Pacific_. sounds like [Gerry](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0302674/) ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-survival-stories-in-film/553832/14 "2010-09-15T14:40:12Z")
[A Far off Place](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106868/) - one of Reese Witherspoon’s first movies [Man in the Wilderness](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067388/) - Richard Harris as a trapper mauled by a bear and left for dead. [Vertical Limit](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0190865/)and [K2](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102178/) if you’re up for cheesy mountaineering tales of survival and intrigue. [The Killing Fields](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087553/) turns into an escape/journey through hell movie. It’s fantastic anyway, if you haven’t seen it. Based on a true story. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-survival-stories-in-film/553832/15 "2010-09-15T14:41:20Z")
[A Cry in the Wild](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099327/) is a made for tv movie taken from _Hatchet_. It’s a little corny now but as a survival movie it’s still worth seeing. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-survival-stories-in-film/553832/16 "2010-09-15T15:10:30Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > I’m sure they meant to say Hell In The Pacific. > > Nope. I saw the resemblance before I read those comments. of course _you_ did. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-survival-stories-in-film/553832/17 "2010-09-15T15:27:09Z")
> [@Keweenaw](#): > > sounds like [Gerry](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0302674/) Nice catch, that’s it exactly. Your link has reviews that’ll help **campp** decide if it’s what he’s looking for. It was very different, took a lot of patience but in the end proved rewarding. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-survival-stories-in-film/553832/18 "2010-09-15T15:45:00Z")
I can’t for the life of me think of this movie’s name - argh, but everybody will know what I mean, it’s a documentary about two mountain climbers and there’s an accident in a storm that leaves the one guy thinking the other guy is dead while the other guy makes his way down the mountain through a glacial crevasse with a broken leg. ---
**Author:** ![Loisseau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/2bfe46/32.png) [@Loisseau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loisseau)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-survival-stories-in-film/553832/19 "2010-09-15T15:50:44Z")
[The Road](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0898367/) ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-survival-stories-in-film/553832/20 "2010-09-15T16:18:22Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > I can’t for the life of me think of this movie’s name - argh, but everybody will know what I mean, it’s a documentary about two mountain climbers and there’s an accident in a storm that leaves the one guy thinking the other guy is dead while the other guy makes his way down the mountain through a glacial crevasse with a broken leg. That’d be **[Touching the Void](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0379557/)**. A remarkable movie, because the story is told through interviews with both climbers, so you know that the guy with the broken leg survived, but you just don’t see how it’s possible. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-survival-stories-in-film/553832.md?page=2)