Review: Snowpiercer

 It’s the near future and an attempt to end global warming has accidentally created a new ice age instead. The few surviving humans are aboard a train created by wealthy Ed Harris and constantly in motion. They are divided into two groups, with the elite privy to all privileges and luxuries occupying the front of the train, whilst the remainder are living pretty much in squalor in the back, limited to eating black protein bars made from an unknown substance. Led by Chris Evans, however, some of the back inhabitants are set to revolt and make their journey to the front of the train to take it over. Tilda Swinton plays the Thatcher-esque ‘minister’ (of propaganda?) in charge of keeping those in the back in line, whilst John Hurt and Jamie Bell play two of Evans’ comrades. Octavia Spencer plays one of the people in the back, whose son has been taken away for mysterious reasons, Allison Pill is up the front of the train as a heavily pregnant teacher, and Song kang-ho turns up as a drug-addict who will play an important role in the planned revolt (He’s the engineer who designed the doors on the train).

 

 

Although some have seen this 2014 film as a right-wing allegory or left-wing allegory, I really think it’s just a film about class difference. Directed by Bong Joon Ho (Whose monster movie “The Host” was pretty good) and co-scripted by the director and Kelly Masterson (“Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead”), this graphic novel adaptation is a good-looking (you’d swear it was a Jean-Pierre Jeunet film), tough bastard of a film that although hardly subtle in message (the film is heavy-handedly allegorical), keeps you on your toes because of its rather merciless offing of characters. People die before you expect them to, and whilst it may not be surprising at all on a thematic level (nor does it go anywhere much on a navigational level), it still keeps you wondering where the plot itself is headed.

 

A grim and dour Chris Evans has never been better (it’s not even close), Ed Harris is well-cast, and the only things wrong with the film are Jamie Bell’s constantly disappearing Irish accent and Tilda Swinton’s absolutely ghastly performance. Seemingly modelled on Effie from “The Hunger Games” and Margaret Thatcher, Swinton gives a horrible caricature of a performance that puts a black mark on an otherwise pretty interesting film. What in the hell was she thinking? In an otherwise dour, low-key film, she’s camping it up to high heaven and it’s just a wrong note. A silly, overly-affected and overly-designed performance and character. Picking up her slack somewhat is a very fine John Hurt, perhaps cast as a nod to “Midnight Express”. Or not. Either way, he’s not phoning this one in like you might expect him to. South Korean actor Song kang-ho (from the highly underrated “Thirst”) manages to be a total badass before he even really does anything on screen.

 

I guess you could point to a major contrivance with all of this mayhem in the back carriages of the train seemingly going unnoticed by anyone at the front of the train, but that’s the kind of thing you really only think of after the credits have rolled, and the ‘haves’ catch onto the ‘have-nots’ fairly quickly anyway so it doesn’t annoy too much. This isn’t a nice film, in fact if you’re looking for cheerful popcorn entertainment, you might find this one a bit too grim or harsh for you. It’s a little like “The Grey” in terms of tone. I mean, the Donner Party sounds like a Happy Meal compared to the amazing, sick story Evans tells at one point. That said, I couldn’t quite understand why I was meant to be so horrified by the identity of the ingredients in the ‘protein bars’ people in the back were eating. People eat stuff like that in real life the world over, it ain’t “Soylent Green” for cryin’ out loud. I think they’re kinda sickos, mind you, but it’s not an uncommon delicacy, so that was rather strange.

 

Heavy-handed in theme, wonderfully grimy in visuals, and a really interesting, harsh film that doesn’t reinvent the wheel but you end up feeling rather horrified by the situation this one gives you. A real shame about Tilda Swinton’s terrible turn (and overworked Yorkshire accent), because this is certainly not boring for a moment. Grim stoicism serves Chris Evans surprisingly well.

 

Rating: B-