I finally caught the indie action-sci fi film Snowpiercer. In this age of overblown carnage-porn that makes up blockbuster action movies, Snowpiercer is a breath of fresh air that blows its big-budget contemporaries out of the water.
Curtis Everett (Chris Evans) lives in the tail end of the Snowpiercer, a train powered by a perpetual motion engine that is the only thing protecting the last remnants of humanity from the frozen wasteland left behind by an experiment to counter global warming gone wrong. Unfortunately for Curtis and his fellow members of the tail end, the conductor of the train, Wilford (Ed Harris), routinely sends forces to the rear to oppress them. It's up to Curtis to lead a revolution that seeks to overtake the Snowpiercer from Wilford's iron grasp.
The world of Snowpiercer is an ingenious blend of a post-apocalyptic wasteland and an oppressive dystopia, with great visual design for both the train and the frozen Earth. This world is fully-realized, with a few sequences taking full advantage of the design of both the train and the outside world. The audience doesn't fully understand the train until the very end, so each new set piece gives a new discovery about the train.
The action itself is fantastic. Each action sequence is incredibly thrilling, thanks in no small part to Bong Joon-ho's brutal direction. He doesn't show a lot of the gore directly, at least not in the North American cut, but he doesn't shy away from the brutality of the situation. Fight scenes are violent and frenzied, and the choreography is highly entertaining, especially with the fluid actions of some of the main characters. It appears that some of Curtis' group has spent some time training, or at least had to learn to be so nimble due to the poor conditions they lived in.
The action does take centre stage here, though the script itself is also very good. Its setting provides a variety of ideas, combining the dystopian themes of social stratification with the post-apocalyptic themes of the nature of humanity. Especially near the end, the latter themes become apparent, in a twist that turns the events of the film on their head. Characters aren't the most fleshed out on their own, but as the movie progresses they build up more depth, and complement the plot with their own human stories.
Another thing that's excellent in Snowpiercer is the soundtrack. It consists heavily of ambient, thumping tracks that underscore the brutal action on-screen, and the few times it does pick up is for some of the best pieces of music I've heard in a movie this year. Outside of the music, a lot of the hits in the action scenes are complemented by a deep thump, adding to the action's primal, visceral feel.
With gripping action and thoughtful themes, Snowpiercer is a triumph. It's directed with fervour and shows off many sides of man, in a frenzied package that is possibly the best action film in a very long time. Snowpiercer is brutal, powerful, and intense. Snowpiercer is brilliant.
10/10
Extended thoughts [warning: spoilers]
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