SNOWPIERCER
Starring Chris Evans, Song Kang-ho, Tilda Swinton
Directed by Bong Joon-ho
Ever since the Lumière brothers unveiled Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat in 1896, the train has been a source of fascination for moviegoers and filmmakers alike. Still a spectacle to behold even centuries after their invention, these monolithic vehicles’ contained environments and propensity for hurtling towards fixed terminus points are also highly conducive to – and symbolic of – cinematic storytelling.
That said, in the first (largely) English language from superstar South Korean director Bong Joon-ho (The Host), the train in question has no final destination. Instead, it’s a “rattling ark” carrying the few surviving humans on an endless circuit of the arctic, inhospitable Earth of post-apocalyptic 2031. The traditional class distinctions of rail travel have become all the more pronounced, resulting in a dystopia where the privileged live lavishly (and employ an arch Tilda Swinton as their spokeswoman) while the underclass endure unspeakable conditions. Consequently, it’s hardly surprising when an uprising is plotted by a square-jawed revolutionary (Chris Evans) and disgraced security specialist (Song Kang-ho).
As the rebels methodically advance on the revered “sacred engine,” Bong effortlessly shifts between caper and quest genres while outfitting every car with a formidable obstacle. (A death squad ultimately pales in comparison to a propaganda-spewing classroom from the Terry Gilliam school of absurdism.) And while the film boasts a handful of masterfully executed action sequences, it also delivers moments of profound beauty and emotional resonance. When his characters marvel at touching soil or seeing swimming fish for the first time, Bong achieves the same effect as cinema’s pioneers: allowing the mundane to inspire wonder.
