Set in 2031; 17 years after the collapse of the world's environment, a train holds the last pieces of humanity. This train, the Snowpiercer, circumnavigates the world indefinitely punching through the freezing terrain. From rear to engine the train maintains the previous world's inequality. But the oppressed are on the brink of revolution.
Bong Joon-ho's takes a unique twist on the "end of the world" science fiction movie. Firstly it is set within a limited setting, where action can easily be forced on the protagonist (Chris Evans). Secondly it allows for little exposition to set up the narrative as the structure of a train lends itself quite easily to natural exposition, each carriage allowing for something to unfold. Finally Joon-ho also grounds the film within "the now", everything is identifiable making immersion straightforward.
Visually this simplicity is maintained. Having one or two cuts during action scenes means that the eye can rest while taking in lots of information. Also having no breaks makes the set pieces visceral and tense. When the ruckus erupts on the carriage filled with soldiers you can see how fluid this style is. Also the conclusion to the film is shot so simply that the audience can purely empathise with the ultimate decision Chad Evan's character has to make and not be distracted by a bloated shot.
But the minimalism of everything breaks down when it comes to the plot. Evans' character's motivation is trite; moving forward for the sake of moving forward. Also when the film is about to end we get exposition overload; characters begin listing off previous revolutions and we are exposed to so many past catastrophes that it warps the films narrative. This makes me believe that there was an awareness when finishing the script that Curtis Everett (Evans) had been underdeveloped.
Acting in the film is sufficient. Being an action film most of the performances are quite physical, and since desperation is the main emotion in the film Evans, Song Kang-ho and the supporting cast feel caricature-ish. Tilda Swinton as Mason was the only standout performance. Being the villain Swinton seems to have fun; she plays up to the caricature, over-playing her accent and being flamboyant in movement and posture, in my mind she will be one the most memorable parts of this film.
I enjoyed this film at the end of the day. The reason why is that it did things that other end of world film annoyingly overlook; there was multiple languages, societies structures remained unchanged, and everything was presented neatly and clearly. The flaws in the film never stopped my enjoyment, and I can see this film becoming a cult classic.
Bong Joon-ho's takes a unique twist on the "end of the world" science fiction movie. Firstly it is set within a limited setting, where action can easily be forced on the protagonist (Chris Evans). Secondly it allows for little exposition to set up the narrative as the structure of a train lends itself quite easily to natural exposition, each carriage allowing for something to unfold. Finally Joon-ho also grounds the film within "the now", everything is identifiable making immersion straightforward.
Visually this simplicity is maintained. Having one or two cuts during action scenes means that the eye can rest while taking in lots of information. Also having no breaks makes the set pieces visceral and tense. When the ruckus erupts on the carriage filled with soldiers you can see how fluid this style is. Also the conclusion to the film is shot so simply that the audience can purely empathise with the ultimate decision Chad Evan's character has to make and not be distracted by a bloated shot.
But the minimalism of everything breaks down when it comes to the plot. Evans' character's motivation is trite; moving forward for the sake of moving forward. Also when the film is about to end we get exposition overload; characters begin listing off previous revolutions and we are exposed to so many past catastrophes that it warps the films narrative. This makes me believe that there was an awareness when finishing the script that Curtis Everett (Evans) had been underdeveloped.
Acting in the film is sufficient. Being an action film most of the performances are quite physical, and since desperation is the main emotion in the film Evans, Song Kang-ho and the supporting cast feel caricature-ish. Tilda Swinton as Mason was the only standout performance. Being the villain Swinton seems to have fun; she plays up to the caricature, over-playing her accent and being flamboyant in movement and posture, in my mind she will be one the most memorable parts of this film.
I enjoyed this film at the end of the day. The reason why is that it did things that other end of world film annoyingly overlook; there was multiple languages, societies structures remained unchanged, and everything was presented neatly and clearly. The flaws in the film never stopped my enjoyment, and I can see this film becoming a cult classic.