SNOWPIERCER

Korea, 2014, 126 minutes, Colour.
Chris Evans,Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, John Hurt, Ed Harris, Kang-ho Song, Octavia Spencer, Ewan Bremner, Ah-sung Ko, Allison Pill.
Directed by Joon-ho Bong.

Snowpiercer is quite striking film, receiving strong critical acclaim.

The actual Snowpiercer of the film is a train with a vast number of carriages, continually travelling around the world, through landscapes, over bridges – but the world has frozen and it is now 2031 and survival is only for those only in the train.

This is really an international film on many fronts, perhaps enabling it to be appreciated in a wide range of countries throughout the world. It is based on a French graphic novel and has been adapted by its Korean director, Joon-ho Bong, whose past films (like Mother, The Host) have, to say the least, many bizarre characteristics, plotlines and characters. And the cast is also international, Americans Chris Evans, as leader of the revolutionaries from the back of the train, and Octavia Spencer as the mother of a little boy who is taken for cruel purposes in the running of the train. Britain is represented by Jamie Bell as the leader’s second in charge, by John Hurt as the guru amongst the revolutionaries and by Tilda Swinton, almost unrecognisable in look and voice as she was in The Grand Budapest Hotel, as the link between the poverty at the back of the train and the wealth and comfort at the head of the train. Ed Harris also appears towards the end of the film. Korea is represented by Kang-ho Song as an expert on opening the doors to successive carriages.

In one sense, the plot is fairly straightforward. Since the beginning of the train’s run fifteen years earlier, there has been a group of poor survivors at the back of the train, crammed into their carriages, clothes deteriorating, and a strange block of food to be cut up, providing minimal protein. There have been some revolutionary uprisings in the past – but, now, it seems is the right time for a new revolutionary movement. Chris Evans as Curtis, who has some dark shadows in his past, is reluctant to be the leader, despite his being encouraged by Gilliam, the guru who has sacrificed one of his arms in the struggle for freedom. Curtis is supported by the wilful and often headstrong Edgar, Jamie Bell.

While the revolution is being prepared, there are visits from the front of the train, a big blonde woman who measures up children and takes away those she has chosen – with a later revelation of the ugly consequences of her action. There is a visit from Mason, the bizarre intermediary between the proletariat in the back and the wealthy in the front.

A lot of the film is taken up with the progress of the revolutionaries, not without some gun battles and a high body count of the soldiers and of the revolutionaries, as they move forward from carriage to carriage, discovering different aspects of the carriages, including a water carriage, an Arboretum carriage, a school for the wealthy, arrogant children, a club car for socialites.

Eventually, there is a climax as they come to the door of the carriage where the owner is ensconced – as we have heard from the beginning of the film. It is in his carriage that there are many revelations about what is happening, about what has happened, and what the future might entail.

The film is intriguing in its plot to say the least and impressive in its unfolding of its story, development of its characters, indication of themes of post-apocalyptic oppression.

Having said that, with the Korean director’s interest in bizarre aspects of plot development, it is important to note that with the many violent sequences, Snowpiercer is not for the faint hearted audience.


1. The acclaim for the film? Korean, French collaboration in the English language? The film based on a French graphic novel? The sensibilities for this kind of action?

2. The graphic novel itself, French, visualised, dramatised, a dystopian world, post-apocalyptic, the new revolution?

3. The director, his work, the touches of the bizarre, Korean background, using his skills and style, yet for an international, English-speaking audience?

4. The international cast – and the irony of their gradual dying off throughout the film?

5. The re-creation of the world, cold world, frozen, the ruins of the cities? The international train, Wilford as the creator of the train? The frozen visuals outside the train, inside the train, the range of carriages and their contents? Musical score?

6. The introduction to the train, focusing on the back carriages, the poverty, the cold, the people crammed in, their old clothes, the protein food, the exchanges amongst the characters? Curtis as leader, his reluctance? Edgar as the second in charge? The role of Gilliam as the guru – and the later revelations about him and his intentions? The role of the soldiers, their brutality, distributing the protein food? The blonde woman coming from the front, measuring people, taking Tim, his mother’s grief, and the later revelation about why he was taken? The years of travel, the previous revolutions, new hopes, waiting for the right moment?

7. The character of Mason, her appearance, manner of speaking, arrival at the back, bureaucratic, acclaiming Wilford, her speech and accent, slang? Her control? Reactions to her presence?

8. Curtis, the story of his past, not wanting to be a leader, the influence of Gilliam and the severing of his arm? The mother, the baby, his violent behaviour? Edgar being the baby, his sense of responsibility for him? Following the example of Gilliam but not wanting to be leader? His interactions with Edgar, controlling him, restraining him? The situation with the taking of Tim? Deaths?

9. The right time, the beginning of the move, strategies and tactics, the violence, the guards, the many deaths, reprisals? Gilliam’s disappearance? Edgar being killed? The later death of Tim’s mother?

10. The visualising of the violence, importance of the revolution, the extent of the body count?

11. The waking of the Korean in his drawer, his daughter? The drug addiction? His need, Curtis supplying? His ability to open doors? His consciousness?

12. The visuals of the variety of carriages and the personnel? The travelling through the train? The visuals outside the train as its many carriages loop back and provide vision of the outside?

13. The water carriage, the visuals, the fish, the storage? The process of purification?

14. The carriage with the food processing, the bones, the ‘Soylent Green’ for the nourishing food?

15. The carriage as the Arboretum, the vegetation, the produce?

16. The school, the wealthy children, spoilt, proper, singing, the role of the teacher, her personality, the refined charm, the vicious comments from the children, the teacher herself and her bursting out with the gun and violence?

17. The capture of Mason, her re-appearance, her being taken hostage, her leading them through the carriages, the tactics, her plea for life, praising Wilford, the suddenness of her death?

18. The loss of power, the darkness, the fights, the leaders and their roles?

19. The carriage with the socialites and their partying?

20. The help of the Korean, the role of his daughter, being rewarded with a drug? Getting to Wilfred, the Korean and his not wanting to open the door, his wanting to escape, belief that the snow was melting, his concern about his daughter?

21. Entering the carriage, meeting Wilford, his manner, his story, his motivations, his financial empire, engineering, the train, its equipment? And his using children in the motor, Tim and his place there? The story about Gilliam and his conspiracy for Curtis to be Wilford’s successor? The invitation to trust? Curtis
and his final steps, rescuing Tim, defying Wilford, Wilford’s death?

22. The rescue, the Korean’s daughter, getting out of the train with Tim, the destruction of the train, the spectacular smash? Out in the snow, the snow melting, future?

23. The effect of this kind of graphic storytelling, with its action plot, its character interactions, its apocalyptic themes, personal self-sacrifice?