Snowpiercer Review - NP Approved

Snowpiercer (2013)

Editor’s Note: Snowpiercer opens in limited release on June 27th.

They don’t make ‘em like this anymore. Then again, I don’t think they’ve ever made them quite like this. Joon-ho Bong’s futuristic pic Snowpiercer, his first English-language outing, is unlike anything you have ever seen. It’s a grand story told on an intimate level, bursting with intrigue, excitement, and real human emotion. It boasts one of the year’s best casts, each and every one of them on their A-game. Best of all, it features an original idea that is fully realized and brought to life by one of the most exciting cinematic talents working today.

It’s a grand story told on an intimate level, bursting with intrigue, excitement and real human emotion. It boasts one of the year’s best casts, each and every one of them on their A-game.

The year is 2031. All human and animal life on Earth has been eradicated save for a precious few who boarded the Snowpiercer, a massive train that constantly circles the globe. The poor are forced to live in the back of the train, living off disgusting protein blocks and doing anything to survive just one more day. The rich inhabit the front of the train, enjoying fine food, spacious living quarters and living every day like one huge party. After 17 years of inhumane treatment, the tail section of the train has had enough. Led by Curtis (Chris Evans), the poor rise up in revolt to take their place at the front of the train.

Snowpiercer is based quite loosely off the French graphic novel Le Transperceneige, but Joon-ho Bong is in complete command of his film. The Korean native creates a world that is thoroughly believable, equal parts breathtaking and terrifying. Each section of the train is a result of masterful production design, making for a setting that feels quite real. Boon doesn’t let any of these locations go to waste, be it a sushi bar, train engine or one of the creepiest classrooms ever to exist in the history of cinema. Every set has its own feel and is used to its fullest effect.

Thanks to the assistance of some insane makeup and prosthetics, Tilda Swinton creates yet another unforgettable character. She so effortlessly vanishes into her character it would be a shame if she wasn’t recognized when awards season comes around.

Equally real are the people that inhabit the train. Chris Evans gives a gritty performance that culminates in one hell of an unforgettable monologue. His fellow revolters, Octavia Spencer and Jamie Bell, deliver strong supporting work, with John Hurt’s signature gravitas the perfect fit for the film’s tone. Bong regular Kang-ho Song and Ah-sung Ko are great as a father-daughter combo who joins the resistance but only because it provides them with the drugs they crave. Thanks to the assistance of some insane makeup and prosthetics, Tilda Swinton creates yet another unforgettable character. She so effortlessly vanishes into her character it would be a shame if she wasn’t recognized when awards season comes around.

We’re barely at the halfway point in the cinematic year, but it’s going to be very, very hard to find a movie that will top Joon-ho Bong’s Snowpiercer in terms of its ambition, scale, and pure awesomeness. But for all its exquisitely designed set pieces, kick-ass action sequences, and larger-than-life performances, Snowpiercer works because of the small-scale elements of the film. Anyone can make a movie that is huge in scale, but it takes a true master to find the human drama amidst the chaos and tell it in a way that makes those big set pieces part of a journey rather than an obligatory action scene. Ultimately what Boon has created is a celebration of life, hope, and the human spirit embedded in one of the most unique films ever made. When was the last time you saw that in a summer movie?

9.0 AMAZING

Ultimately what Boon has created is a celebration of life, hope, and the human spirit embedded in one of the most unique films ever made. When was the last time you saw that in a summer movie?