Blizzard

      The blizzard scene from the movie is an emotional and, at first, dismal situation where a group of mountain climbers are struck by a fierce snowstorm and find themselves unable to continue. The men become frustrated with the circumstances they are in and begin to accept that they can not go on any further, or so they think. During the blizzard, elements of Shintoism can be seen in the leader's actions when he is trying to rile up his men to be able to put one foot in front of the other and continue their tread through the harsh mountain climate. He seeks the best outcome for his team so that they do not end up failing their mission and facing death. This is an example of trying to avoid dishonor by failing to set out what they attempted to do, an important concept in Shintoism, as dishonor is worse than death. Additionally, the leader's actions can be paralleled to Bushido ideals, in that he was attempting to be courageous, as well as loyal to his men.

      Unable to properly galvanize his men, the leader then accepts a “short break” as he hunches over and falls into the snow on the ground. While he is “unconscious”, he has a vision of a benevolent spiritual entity, perhaps something like a kami, that tells him that the “snow is warm” and that the “ice is cold”. He stares at her for a while as she comforts him, then he falls back asleep. When he wakes, their safety camp is only a few feet away from them and, to top it all off, the storm has dissipated.