Monday, March 31, 2014

Snowpiercer (2013)

Director: Joon-ho Bong
Writers:  Joon-ho Bong, Kelly Masterson, Jacques Lob, Benjamin Legrand, Jean-Marc Rochette
Cast:      Chris Evans, Song Kang-ho, John Hurt, Tilda Swinton

A failed experiment to combat global warming leads to the planet going frozen with the only survivors being the ones in a train (snowpiercer) that travels around the globe via a perpetual-motion engine. A class system is evolved in it and there is always a simmering tension leading to failed revolutions and the film depicts the latest one led by Curtis (Chris Evans). 

One will be reminded of Matrix, Orwellian novels like 1984 & Animal Farm, Brave New World etc while watching it. It is an adaptation of French graphic novel 'Le Transperceneige' and is produced by Korean Investments Corporation along with others. Park-Chan Wook also served as an executive producer. 

It explores the ideas of social class system, God, Nature, Nazism and social order. One might think that it suffers from not having a well known actor in the lead role but I think it is intentional keeping in mind the twist at the end. Didn't realize it was Tilda Swinton playing the role of Mason, the minister, until the end credits rolled. She steals the show playing this character which would remind people of Margaret Thatcher. In two hours Joon-ho Bong achieves much more than Matrix trilogy in its entirety could. It doesn't have revolutionary action sequences and coupled with the dark nature of its theme it might not do well at the box office.

Rating: 4.5/5

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