Snowpiercer

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🎙️ EPISODE 10: 04.10.2015 𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙱𝙾𝙽𝙶 𝙹𝙾𝙾𝙽-𝙷𝙾 𝙳𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚘𝚛 𝙵𝚘𝚌𝚞𝚜 When I watched Snowpiercer, the name Bong Joon-ho was nothing more than an afterthought (or a nothingthought; there was no thought). It just looked like a cool-looking movie that was on Netflix and my daughter would take these naps at the time and she liked sleeping on me so I would put a movie on with almost no sound and read the subtitles (I have bad hearing anyway). I connected the dots a few years later with his second English-language film, Okja, whose A+ premise and creature design failed to fully live up to the hype. So, nevertheless, I still didn't think these were the works of a master director. (Something about that being one of the first big straight-to-Netflix releases probably had something to do with it as well, if only subconsciously.)

I certainly didn't think that an instant classic like Parasite was waiting right around the corner. This is to say, I'm incredibly naive to so much 'world cinema' (I've yet to watch Bong's first four 00s films, though I plan to) and that these films, but especially Snowpiercer, deserve a rewatch on my end.

... 千卂丂ㄒ-千ㄖ尺山卂尺ᗪ (AFTER RE-WATCH)...

Ed. Note: This is a joint review with The Host:

The Host is a truly unique film that might be a masterpiece for how it blends no less than four major genres together seamlessly: monster movies, comedy, sci-fi, and drama. And those are just the first that come to mind. If you wanted to get down to it, you could probably dissect it even further as well, as there are elements of horror, action, geopolitics, virus outbreaks and more. But the reason this potpourri doesn't end up smelling like a garbage dump is that its core it's a film about family. And while they couldn't be more dissimilar on the surface, it's the one film which most reminded me of his magnum opus, Parasite, and not just for the obvious Host/Parasite connection.

Snowpiercer doesn't necessarily fool around with genres to the extent of The Host but it does ramp up the satirical energy to uncharted territories. Both films are tonal enigmas and seem to exist in a vocabulary all to themselves.

Snowpiercer doesn't necessarily fool around with genres to the extent of The Host but it does ramp up the satirical energy to uncharted territories. Both films are tonal enigmas and seem to exist in a vocabulary all to themselves.

These films tackle an array of political issues in such overt and transparent ways they feel like parody. In the hands of a lesser director they could've been really annoying if not downright bad. But BJH is an expert maximalist when he wants to be, and can somehow weave together sociopolitical commentary on climate change with the class struggle, American exceptionalism and global influence with... the class struggle. OK, so there's one constant throughout the filmography but it doesn't stop him from branching out and taking on other issues. And, hey!, it's almost as if capitalism has hand in all of these problems (you're all nodding along, cautiously, I know; I see you.)

But if even you were a braindead moron, there's plenty here to enjoy. These are both exceptionally paced, action-packed, thrill rides, with outstanding visuals. Sure, you might not think that 2006's monster in The Host has aged well (I think it looks great) and the shaky handheld camerawork of some of the fight scenes in Snowpiercer feel a tad grating. But ultimately these are popcorn flicks disguised as social commentary. Or the other way around. That's the thing, that's the trick, and it's why Bong Joon-ho is a genius.

For a director who, to some extent, frames all of his movies as a mystery or a puzzle, the most violent film in the repertoire by a solid margin, Snowpiercer, might also have the most layers at all. By the final act, the constant plot twists and reveal feel a tad like Scooby Doo, but who cares. Like the train, racing to its fiery end, it's pure movie magic.

CHRONOLOGICALLY
⫷ EPISODE 9 - (YOU ARE HERE) - EPISODE 11 ⫸

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