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| Chris Evans |
If there is one thing to be said about Bong Joon-Ho's Snowpiercer, it is the surprising amount of success that it has had. In an era where films come and go, to have one predominantly be seen via video on demand and still capture the zeitgeist is a phenomenal reflection of where movie consumption is. Even then, the quality should not be ignored, as the film's metaphorical context of modern politics and social structures is an intriguing, inventive look into what modern sci-fi could be striving towards. Lead by Chris Evans, the action film turns closed spaces into some of the most enjoyably elaborate set pieces of the year. Overall, the film succeeds in providing cohesive allegories and silliness side-by-side in ways that are profound.
Set in a dystopian landscape in 2031, the passengers aboard a train called Snowpiercer have to deal with the consequences of a failed environmental project encapsulating the world in snow. Set up like a hierarchy, the door and destitute are held in the back with armed guards and propaganda being curated to them by higher powers (Tilda Swinton). It isn't until one day a party decides to revolt that things begin to change. As the passengers travel through the train to the main engine, they discover more and more truths about this train where humanity's remaining existence lives. There's raves and brainwashing teachers to follow as the group slowly dies off.
From the mind of The Host's Joon-Ho, the film succeeds when it mixes action with creative scenery and social subtext. While some of its mechanics are debatable on their contexts, he succeeds in mixing politics with adrenaline in ways that are ingenious. At times campy, the film embraces its silliness, but not without applying the dark ramifications in the process. This whole hierarchy is messed up, but having power will likely keep you alive. It is paranoia mixed with propaganda in ways that are fitting to a Neo-Marxist class system and helps to drive a lot of character motivations into strange territories. The story may be straightforward, but it allows the imagery to do a lot of the heavy lifting.
The issues lie in the opening when introductions and exposition are required. For the first portion of the film, it is a rather dull film without any depth or meaning. Beyond the understanding of why we're here, it is very slow pacing and nothing quite clicks. It feels familiar and the characters don't get interesting until the journey begins. If the film had jumped right in with the intended aspirations, it would have been tighter, allowing the character development to feel more earned and natural. Instead, the social structure feels familiar and almost works at sympathizing inconsequential details. Seeing as the film focuses predominantly around a specific group of characters, becoming familiar with the others is sort of a waste.
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| Tilda Swinton |
Overall, the film succeeds in being an enjoyable blockbuster with a lot more intentions on its mind. When the violence and hierarchy comes into play, the film reaches euphoric levels of entertainment. Snowpiercer's mythology gets deconstructed and the mystery becomes more fascinating. Mixed with dark humor, the film often takes on a Terry Gillian-style approach to surrealism, and it may be intentional. Even if the stakes are drawn out at a ridiculous length, the film skids by on originality. It also helps the Joon-Ho's strengths lie in making characters worth investing in. Supporting characters Yona (Ah-sung Ko) and Namgoong Minsu (Kang-ho Song) are particularly interesting as they are forced to work together and provide the more memorable fight scenes in the film. Even a brief appearance by Alison Pill as Teacher is given nuanced tics as a wide-eyed propaganda lecturer that benefit the film's overall strengths. Its sense of humor is essentially its saving grace, even in the face of violent action scenes.
In the end, Snowpiercer is a fascinating tale of societal structures and what we should be striving for. It speaks of rebellion and uncovering conspiracies in harsh ways. Despite being a very memorable, enjoyable experience, the film feels a little long and the exposition in the third act does wear a little thin. It is great at building tension, but often fails to embrace the payoff. It is a crazy film with a lot to say, and for that it should be commended. Otherwise, it should just be seen as a highly enjoyable, creative blockbuster in ways that American cinema should have been striving towards. Instead, these gems are left for VOD markets and audiences to embrace world cinema in the comfort of their own homes. It isn't a terrible thing, but it is a gorgeous film that benefits from the big screen and if possible should be viewed as such.
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