Directed by Korean enfant terrible Bong Joon Ho (“The Host”, “Mother”), Snowpiercer is imaginative science fiction film was adapted from a French graphic novel, “Le Transperceneige”.
Set in a future where mankind has inadvertently turned Earth into a frozen wasteland (the result of the botched plan to counter global warming by releasing a cooling agent into the atmosphere), and a high speed train carried survivors on an endless loop around the world.
Much like the class system in modern transportation, the rich and privileged inhabited the front sections of the train (complete with sushi bar, spa, dance club, etc.), while the masses live like refugees in the rear. Chris Evans, displaying surprising dramatic potential, played a rebel who led a revolution to storm the front, with the help of Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer, John Hurt and Bong’s frequent collaborator Song Kang Ho.
Once again, Tilda Swinton showed her incredible range as the train’s crazed and cowardly second-in-command, “uglified” with buck teeth, thick glasses and floppy wig, occasionally sniveling and drooling to maximum effect. There were many spectacular action-packed set pieces (the production design was something to behold), but my favourite was a pastel coloured classroom where children were taught about the history of the train and the perils of revolution.
The hyper-cutesy tone was in stark contrast to the doom and gloom, or frenetic pace, of the other segments… until the teacher (Alison Pill) pulled out a machine gun, that is. Surprises such as this were aplenty, but unfortunately, the building confusion led to a drawn out final act that didn’t quite satisfy.