Snowpiercer
Snowpiercer (Korean: 설국열차; hanja: 雪國列車; RR: Seolgungnyeolcha) is a 2013 South Korean science fiction action film based on the French graphic novel Le Transperceneige by Jacques Lob, Benjamin Legrand and Jean-Marc Rochette. The film is directed by Bong Joon-ho, and written by Bong and Kelly Masterson. The film marks Bong’s English-language debut; approximately 80% of the film was shot in English.
The film stars Chris Evans, Song Kang-ho, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer, John Hurt, and Ed Harris. – Wikipedia Snowpiercer
The premise for this movie is really interesting. While attempting to battle Global Warming we accidentally freeze the Earth. The last remaining people of the world are circumnavigating the globe in a train called Snowpiercer. As with society, people are separated by class. The poor are at the back of the train, while the rich are at the front. Those at the tail of the train are grouped in close quarters, have little food, and are living in filth. We learn they have had revolutions before, but none were successful. Our main character is Curtis played by Chris Evans. He is a student of Gilliam, played by John Hurt, and they are planning the next rebellion with help from an unknown informant in a different car. They pass messages in bullet casings delivered in blocks of goo called Protein Bars. We find out what happens when you misbehave when a well-dressed woman comes to select 2 small children. One throws a show at her as she takes his son and he is punished by having his arm covered in goo and exposed to the extreme cold outside the train. Once his arm is frozen, they smash it off. Another woman is savagely beaten as they take her 5 year old away. I would have gotten my butt beat as well if they tried to take my son. Animals.
The revolution is on and once they discover the guards do not have bullets, they charge past the doors and into the prisoner car. Prisoners are kept in drawers in a single car. Curtis and co free one in particular and bribe him with a drug called Kronol to open the doors between the cars. The Prisoner, called Namgoong, and his daughter Yona join Curtis and his revolution. Curtis captures the leader of the train Wilford’s second in command, Mason, ending a massacre outside the water car. He lost his best friend Edgar (a 17 year old boy) as a result. They travel through the remaining cars and we see the rich having drug orgies and living a luxurious life while the poor in the tail starve. We also discover what the Protein Bars are really made of. Ew.
When the Revolutionaries make it to the cart with school children, more die. The pregnant school teacher who is brainwashing all the first-class children on the train opens fire at Curtis and co and we lose more people, including Mason. We make our way through the train to right outside the engine room. Namgoong refuses to open that gate, but will use the Kronol (which is highly explosive) to blow open a different door to the outside. He believes it is getting warmer and people can now live outside the train. The druggies from the previous car attack Namgoong for taking all their drugs while Curtis deals with Wilford. Namgoong blows a hole in the train and causes an avalanche that derails the train, killing everyone on board including himself. Only Yong and Timmy (one of the 5 year old boys that were taken at the beginning) survived. The see a polar bear and know it is possible for life to survive outside the train. Shame the whole of humanity just died.
Namgoong had the right idea, but you would think he would be smart enough not to set off an explosive while they were surrounded by mountains. He even mentions the bomb will cause an avalanche when he is explaining his plan to Curtis. I enjoyed the movie, but that plot hole got me upset. I was hoping for a happier end than the whole of humanity was destroyed save for a single teenage girl and a 5 year old boy. Still worth a watch. Check it out on Netflix.
