[Korea Movie] Snowpiercer : A message of praise and hope for the history of human civilization

Snowpiercer is a 2013 South Korean science fiction action film directed by Bong Joon-ho. The film is set in a post-apocalyptic world where the survivors are living in a giant train that never stops running. The film deals with the theme of social class and inequality.

 

Snowpiercer with Captain America on board..

 

The story is set in a world where the polar ice caps have melted, causing a global freeze. The only remaining survivors are those on the Snowpiercer train, which is divided into strict classes based on one's ticket class.  The lower-class passengers live in squalor, while the upper-class passengers live in luxury.

The film shows the class divide as the lower-class passengers rise up against the oppressive upper- class, led by Chris Evans' character Curtis. The film’s central theme is the struggle between the oppressed and oppressor, and the film is a commentary on the inequalities of society.

 

It looks happy, but it's a pretty sad family photo.

Bong Joon-ho’s earlier film, "The Host," also dealt with a family's love and bonds, but Snowpiercer takes this concept further by exploring the concept of human love and empathy on a larger scale. The film portrays the journey of the lower-class passengers as they fight to reach the front of the train, not only for their own  survival, but also to restore a sense of equality and justice.

Overall, Snowpiercer is a well-crafted film with a strong visual style and a thought- provoking message. The film is a reflection of our own society and serves as a reminder of the importance of empathy and the need for a more equitable world.

 

The poster of the drama version remade on Netflix emphasized the horizontal shape of the space.

Snowpiercer's story unfolds as a linear progression through the train, as the lower- class passengers make their way to the front. The film's cinematography utilizes this linear progression to visually represent the journey and convey a sense of movement and progression. The use of a horizontal orientation in the film's cinematography serves to emphasize the elongated and never-ending nature of the train and the journey.

 

The film's cinematography makes use of various techniques to enhance the visual style of the film. For example, the film uses long takes and tracking shots to follow characters through the different compartments of the train, and this serves to emphasize the claustrophobic and constricting nature of the lower- class passengers' living conditions. The use of slow-motion and close-ups are used to add dramatic emphasis to key moments in the film, further heightening the film's visual impact.

 

Director Bong Joon-ho is said to have attempted to express the discovery of fire in ancient civilizations through a scene in which a torch appears in the dark.

Additionally, the use of contrasting colors and lighting in the different compartments of the train serves to visually reinforce the stark class divide and highlight the differences between the upper-class and lower- class passengers. The film's visual style is both eye-catching and thought-provoking, and it effectively supports the film's central themes and narrative.

In conclusion, Snowpiercer's cinematography plays a key role in the film's overall impact and success. The film's linear progression and use of various cinematographic techniques effectively convey the film's themes and enhance the film's visual style.

 

Snowpiercer features several child characters that play important roles in the film's narrative. These child characters include:

 

Timmy - Timmy is a lower-class child who is among the passengers leading the rebellion against the train's upper class. Timmy is portrayed as brave and determined, and he serves as a symbol of hope and resilience for the lower-class passengers.

Yona - Yona is a young girl who is part of the upper class and serves as a foil to Timmy. Yona is portrayed as privileged and entitled, and her character serves to highlight the cruelty and greed of the upper class.

Each of these child characters contributes to the film's overarching themes and narrative, and they are important elements in the film's visual and emotional impact. Timmy and Yona serve as contrasting symbols of hope and oppression, respectively, and their characters help to reinforce the film's central themes of class struggle and social justice. 

In conclusion, Snowpiercer's child characters play a crucial role in the film's storytelling, and their contrasting characters and experiences serve to highlight the film's central themes and emotional impact.

 

Snowpiercer presents a bleak outlook for the future generation through the harsh conditions and strict class system on the train. However, the presence of several child characters in the film and the significance they hold, also convey a glimmer of hope. These children, including Timmy and Curtis's son, symbolize the future and the possibility of a better world. By highlighting their resilience and innate goodness, the film suggests that the future generation has the potential to break free from the cycle of oppression and create a better world for themselves. In this way, Snowpiercer presents both a cautionary tale about the dangers of a class-based society and a hopeful message about the potential of the future generation to bring about change.

 

Protein blocks are made by mixing seaweed, sugar, and gelatin. At the filming site, the actors actually ate protein blocks. The favorite eater was Tilda Swinton, and the most hated was Jamie Bell.