Review: Snowpiercer

Snowpiercer is the fantastic new sci-fi allegory of a film from brilliant South Korean director Bong Joon-ho. This is his first English language film after a string of fantastic films including the new classic monster film The Host. The film is not only the best film of the year so far, its easily one of the best sci-fi films in ages.

The plot is pure political metaphor along the lines of Orwell. The near future: A cooling agent called CW7 is introduced into the atmosphere to combat global warming. It backfires, rendering the planet uninhabitable. Most of the Earth’s population freezes. The survivors now live aboard a high-speed train—built by an eccentric billionaire before the ice age—where all necessities flow front to back. Wastewater from the first-class cars close to the engine is filtered to make drinking water for the third-class passengers living in squalor in the back of the train. An uprising is about to start. The back of the train becomes determined to get to the front of the train, to set the classes back to even.

That may be too much agenda for some but good sci-fi usually has underlining politics. The film's message never gets in the way of its pulsating pace. Snowpiercer is edited with great car and the script is structured tightly. The fancy and elaborate upper half of the train remains unseen until the halfway mark. Surprises and new details about the train emerge at just the right moments to keep things engaging and exciting. 

Tilda Swinton in fantastic as Mason the matriarchal overseer of the back end of the train who doles out symbolic punishments as lesson to the lesser. The real surprise is Chris Evans, the lead here. Evans has been able to do just fine with the Captain America role bestowed upon him but here he shows true acting ability. He brings a worn out sadness to Curtis, the chosen leader of the rebellion.

Snowpiercer has many great elements but this is Bong Joon-ho's film through and through. Proving himself not only as one of the best directors working today but also as contemporary to Terry Gilliam, Snowpiercer shines with his stylistic touches. The train is a wonder of careful craftmanship. The camera work is spectacular, claustrophobic when need be and sweeping in big moments. 

Snowpiercer is film full of ideas and convictions, expertly brought to screen by a talented director utilizing all his abilities. The films features wonderful acting, bursts of grisly violence and a good deal of dark humor throughout. It is a film that never compromises even with its ending and thus creates something memorable. Snowpiercer succeeds in everything it sets out to do and is destined to be a classic.