Beastly Reviews: Snowpiercer
The not-so-little engine that could.
This movie was pretty grim, so if you're feeling blue, as I have been, stay away. But if you're up for a dark dystopian flick, go see it.
Snowpiercer had tongues wagging since its premiere in South Korea last August. The violent flick is set in a frozen future Earth in which the remnants of humanity live on a very big train. The tail end is home to lowlives in slums, with little food and clothing, working for the wealthy people in the front. If anyone in the rear steps out of line, they get punished (punishments are predictably grisly).
One brawny, blue-eyed lowlife (Chris Evans) has had enough. He wants to make it to the front, tip the scale, and control the engine. From there, it's vive la révolution as the dashing hero fights all kinds of freaky bad guys with weapons to seize the means of production.
It's a gory, weird, steampunk hero's journey literally from one end of the train to the other. Outside, the ghostly remnants of ships and cities pass by, covered in ice.
The film is built with solid elements: an easy-to-grasp destination, obstacle-course challenges, buckets of blood, intense action, a creepy performance from Tilda Swinton, and a ruthless villain waiting at the end (Ed Harris). But instead of fitting a crowd-pleasing mold, writer-director Bong Joon-ho shocks us over and over, delivering an exhilarating thrill ride filled with twists and revelations.
The film is heavy and never really lets up. One wonders: How grand a victory can really be won? The world outside is frozen to unlivable temperatures. No matter what happens, everyone is still stuck on this fucking train. Midway through, as your favorite characters get pecked off one by one, you have to commit. And you will, because the film is entertaining and, at its essence, it's the classic proletariat struggle, the poor demanding justice, and you suspect there's a kernel of hope waiting like a light at the end of this train tunnel. There's a strong steampunk, socialist worker's vibe going on and everything's tinged in gray. Funny moments are peppered between shock killings. If you like this sort of thing, you will love this movie.
This not-so-little-engine-that-could was shot in 35 mm, so it's already drawing praise from filmy people. That said, many Americans will have to really hunt for a showing — it's not a Melissa McCarthy comedy that every small-town cinema will carry, and those living outside metro areas won't find it.
Though not everyone's cup of tea, we need to reward challenging movies like this, so if Snowpiercer is playing nearby, go see it.
Love, Beastly
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