Snowpiercer (2014)
Director: Joo-Ho Bong
Writer(s): Joo-Ho Bong & Kelly Masterson;
Joo-Ho Bong (screenstory)
“Know your place! Keep your place!” – Mason
Based on the French graphic novel, “Le Transperceneige,” by Jacques Lob & Benjamin Legrand and Jean-Marc Rochette, “Snowpiercer” is a science fiction parable in which a failed experiment to curb global climate change has created a new ice age. In anticipation of this event, (and, I suspect, with a hand in it), wealthy industrialist Wilford (Ed Harris) has created the “Snowpiercer,” a “self contained ecosystem” on a train with a perpetual-motion engine that navigates the globe, and contains the last remnants of humanity. The poorest of the poor, remain in the tail of the train, while Wilford himself resides at the engine. Between, in escalating layers of social class as one moves front, are everyone else who operates and populates the train.
A growing restless has occurred in the tail, as Gilliam (John Hurt) raises a rebellion bent on moving forward and wresting control of the engine from Wilford. At his side is Curtis (Chris Evans) who practically worships Gilliam, Edgar (Jamie Bell), who practically worships Curtis, and Tanya (Octavia Spencer) a mother willing to murder a trainload of people to rescue her son. Standing in their way is the villainous Mason (Tilda Swinton) and her never-ending reinforcements of armed thugs.
Revolutions have occurred on the train before, and have always been put down. However, a mysterious benefactor has been sending messages back to the rebels, and has revealed the identity and location of the security expert, Namgoom Minsoo (Kang-ho Song) who can disengage the gates that separate the sections of the train and enable the rebels to advance. However, Namgoom Minsoo requires that his daughter, Yona (Ah-sung Ko) accompany them, and that they both be routinely supplied with a dangerous and addictive hallucinogen as the price for his cooperation. Reluctantly, Curtis leads the revolutionaries forward, and as they advance, they learn more about the real operation and societal structures of Snowpiercer, and the audience learns more about what these people have done to survive seventeen years on the train.
The cast gives solid, if occasionally over-the-top, performances. (I’m looking at you, Ms. Swinton.) And despite the potentially videogame-esque nature of heroes fighting their way past increasingly dangerous villains as they advance toward a goal, the film keeps the audience engaged. Sufficient twists, turns, secrets, and betrayals exist that one barely notices lulls in the action. And, there is action – bloody, bone jarring fights with pipes, knives, axes, as well as occasional bursts of unrestrained gunfire, all in the cramped spaces of train cars. There is no end of social commentary to dig through, nor shortage of symbolism and cinematography to capture the eye. In all, Joo-Ho Bong’s American debut is worth the money you’ll spend on the ticket, and the time you’ll spend arguing over the merits or failings of the movie, and what the hell everything means.
Especially the fish… I have no idea what the deal was with the axe-men and the fish…
Still no formal rating, so I’ll give it eight out of ten cars on the Snowpiercer.
IMDB page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1706620
Central Iowa Video Nostalgia 