Review:

After watching the movie before me, my family rained on me that the movie was too violent. I understood reaction of family as a matter of course, because many audiences have strong likes and dislikes about the film. So I watched the movie with great expectations that the movie was strange, grotesque, violent.

- What makes dystopia terrible

After the movie, I’ve thought about some scenes, which family said movie was cruel. It might be the scene that a person’s arm extended out of train in order to be punished at extreme cold. If it is not, it might be massacre scene in the dark tunnel. The reason why the movie was cruel, is not because of specific scene but because of film content. As for me, I suspected that characters inevitably have cannibalism. Especially, compartment, which make protein block, was reminiscent of ‘Delicatessen(1991)’ because of mise-en-scene. I was not comfortable to watch the movie due to whereabout of missing children. I doubt even the scene, which Wilford eat a steak. The movie was awful because of that imagination.

The train, which Wilford created to cater for passengers, finally controlled and exploited them. At this point, Marxist theory, which human made material for himself but human is under the control of material, thought underlies the movie. However, director does not interfere in the age-old conflicts.

What makes dystopia terrible is the fact we cannot deny that system. There is no alternative to ruler and ruled. Resources are limited and are distributed some people. Even though, people cannot get out the train.

- Mixed opinions about theme

It is said that theme of ‘Snowpiercer’ is too much. By the way, it seems that ‘the theme’ is different to each person.

Dystopia of the name of SNOWPIERCER is a microcosm of society, which we actually live in. However, it is boring criticism about absolute power of controlled society expressed in the movie. That is suggestive old proposed–class struggle–. Later in the film, We can know it when we watch main character Curtis (Chris Evans) chat with train designer Wilford (Ed Harris). However, it seems that director’s main concern is not this.

“The movie is about survival and life”, Tilda Swinton said in an interview. By doing this, that looks much better. However, we are missing the point. So what does director want to say?

There is no that train Snowpiercer in the world. It is the worst-case scenario in the history of mankind. In the beginning of the story one question that if it goes ahead, we are not giving up our human qualities. In SNOWPIERCER, two propositions, “we do not give up human qualities” and “We will preserve it our species”, are not incompatible. Wilford of the ruling class and Gilliam of the subjugated class choose survival(preservation of the species). And Curtis is forced to make a choice between the two.

By the way, if people stayed the train, this structure is circle in spite of regime change. In other words, class struggle is meaningless.

Let’s see alter ego of director, Namgoong Minsu(Song Kang-ho), designer of security of the train. He was not particularly interested in what passengers of the last car were trying to overthrow the system and they move forward toward the first car.

Let’s see alter ego of director, Namgoong Minsu(Song Kang-ho), designer of security of the train. He was not particularly interested in what passengers of the last car were trying to overthrow the system and they move forward toward the first car. He just questioned one thing. If people go outside the train, everybody shall die? Dystopia was terrible because we couldn’t get out of it anyhow. Director asks us. Can’t we walk away from in such a society, man-made system? How about outside the system?

The film arouse society system is imperfect because of man-made object. Look closer, you will see ‘Snowpiercer’ is humane and charm despite of some scenes of brutality. If you haven’t, I recommend the movie to you in this summer.

Cinematic Quality:
Entertainment Value :

Writing By Audrey park (audrey@moviescramble.com)