It has taken me a couple of days to jot down thoughts on Bong Joon-ho‘s film Snowpiercer before typing this review, in part because the film that is such a jolt to the system that you need some time to recover. There’s so much to digest with the movie that you have to let it settle and marinate in your brain before coming out with a final verdict. You also have to let your heart calm down, as Snowpiercer is one heart pumping thrill ride up until its startling conclusion.
Snowpiercer opens with some wonderful credits where we see the names of the production team swiveling off the screen with snow. Over laid with this are snippets of dialogue about how the climate has been affected by global warming and the release of some agent in the air to combat this. We then cut to the train, nicknamed the Snowpiercer that has been traveling around the world for 17 years and counting. The train has been divided into various classes and when we enter the picture, it’s 2031and the train class led by Curtis (Chris Evans) has had enough. They are going to make one final stand to make it to the front and take over the train. In order to do that they have to break out prisoner Namgoong Minsu and deal with some crazy guards, an evil bench woman and their own issues in order to make it to the end.
The above paragraph doesn’t really do the plot or impact of Snowpiercer the justice it probably deserves but it’s all I am going to reveal to you now. The genius of Bong Joon-Ho’s film is that it presents you with an interesting world just as it’s about to be turned on it’s head. It’s a choice that often works well for television but is rarely explored in motion pictures. However, I instantly adjusted to what Snowpiercer was attempting to do with it’s narrative and this choice gives the film a kinetic, train like energy the minute it starts. This movie is jam-packed with social issues and interesting commentary, while also being a top notch action film. The blending of the many elements really keeps us as an audience both stimulated visually but intellectually as well. Surprisingly, this film is also incredibly hilarious (the song the 1st class children sing about dying had me howling in laughter) and there are many moments that will make you want to yell at the screen. My only issue is that the movie gets a bit overwrought near the end. I guess they did this to give us more emotional connection with the characters, but it honestly served to just slow the film down and make it a bit too overdramatic. There was enough emotional impact with the visuals and the many deaths of beloved characters to more than make up for this weight.
Speaking of beloved characters, this movie contains one of the coolest ensembles put on screen recently, with its mix of Oscar winners, matinee idols, and Korean superstars. Of the people in the ensemble, I’d say that Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton and Song Kang-ho were the highlights for me. I’ve long liked Evans, and he excels in most of his roles. Here he’s playing a stand in for the every man who happens to do spectacular things. He’s always believable in Snowpiercer even if he slightly goes off course in the melodramatic 3rd act. Swinton is sooooo much fun as Mason, bringing a campy element to face off with the grimness of Evans’ character. Every time she was on screen I couldn’t wait to see what her character would do. After seeing Kang-ho in The Host, I knew he would be game for his role in this film and he just steals the movie out from under his very famous costars.
What makes Snowpiercer work is that Bong Joon-ho has such a mastery of the vision he wanted to get across. Not only contributing to the screenplay and getting great performances, he uses every amount of his power as a director to craft beautiful shots and engaging visual storytelling. I can’t tell you how many times I said YAS in my brain to a shot choice or a particular sequence’s handling of bits of dialogue.
Grade: ***1/2/**** (A-)