Film Review: Snowpiercer         (                  )

                 by David Unterberger

 

 

        One of the most exciting aspects of Korean director Joon-ho Bong’s (The Host) long awaited sci-fi blockbuster Snowpiercer is that it exists. An experimental cross between post-apocalyptic dystopian science fiction, disturbing psychological horror, in depth character study, and scathing political commentary, Snowpiercer literally blazes a trail of innovation through its effortless synthesis of popcorn thrills and intellectual stimulation. Much like the labyrinthine train that serves as the film’s namesake, Joon-ho Bong has constructed an intricate, complex feature capable of bringing together communities of all race and ethnicity into the theater for a shared cinematic experience unlike anything attempted on screen since Alfonso Curon’s only vaguely similar 2005 sci-fi drama Children of Men.

 

        The film takes place in a future where a failed attempt to prevent global-warming through the release of chemical cooling agents resulted in a second ice age; a disaster culminating in the mass death of nearly all life. The only trace of humanity is aboard the Snowpiercer: A train entirely reliant on a cryptic engine engineered by a enigmatic conductor. The train moves in the same circle for years on end, but maintains a comfortable enough environment to foster the final humans. These leftover humans are broken into social class and train car based off how their families were able to first board the train.  Those who paid for the most expensive tickets have guaranteed their lineage a permanent reservation at the luxurious front of the train, while the children of stowaways are forced into the nauseatingly decrepit back cars.

 

        After the initial exposition dump mostly described in the previous paragraph, the film becomes an exhilarating action-thriller as a group of fraudsters at the back of the train attempt to upset the class system by means of rebellion. Unlike the opening exposition, the joy of this section comes from the combination of subtle detail and bombastic action scenes. Lingering moments of limbless protagonists are contrasted with tightly shot sequences lit by fire and night vision goggles. Gore and humanity are coupled with commentary while uniquely filmed combat takes place, all while characters are developed and the universe of the train is further fleshed out. Joon-ho Bong is juggling a million balls at once throughout the film, and rarely lets one fall.

 

        Snowpiercer may be an experimental cross between multiple genres, but it’s also a balancing act between intellectual and popcorn entertainment. Someone solely interested in the film for “cool looking” fight scenes could hypothetically enjoy it as much as a cinephile searching for commentary and pitch-perfect editing technique. Snowpiercer is undoubtably one of the most engaging and exciting films of the year, and should be sought out by all possible audiences. Movies like this aren’t just rare: They don’t exist. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DIRECTOR(S): Joon-ho Bong    SCREENWRITER(S): Joon-ho Bong, Kelly Masterson    CAST: Chris Evans, Jamie Bell, Tilda Swinton, John Hurt, Alison Pill, Ed Harris, Luke Pasqualino, Octavia Spencer, Ewen Bremmer    DISTRIBUTOR: The Weinstein Company    RUNTIME: 126 Minutes    RATING: R    YEAR: 2013