In the first few minutes of Snowpiercer we are presented with a new take on the global warming situation. The science world decides to fight back, launching some sort of compound called C-7 into the atmosphere inadvertently trigger a major ice age that wipes out all life on the planet–well most of it. It turns out a number of people wind up on a train called the rattling ark, moving seemingly aimlessly. Within moments of screen time the train is revealed as a marxist case study of the have’s and have nots. Suddenly there is potential. It isn’t original yet, but there is hope that starts with the initial treatment of the global warming debate. But what happens next?
The show quickly devolves into standard post-apacolyptic flare in the vein of later parts of the Hunger Games or Divergent or the Road, etc. Basically it winds up being about a handful of people who have lost access to soap try to get their hands around the throats of those who have soap and battling through the minions standing in their way. I gotta say, I am not impressed with the film and though my judgement reflects only 17 minutes of film time, it still points to a film that has failed to surprise or inspire thought beyond the initial philosophical debate about how to respond to global phenomena.
I’m not ready to turn it off yet, but I’m not expecting to be impressed.
Some Thoughts:
- Since we are talking about trains (where the heck is the rattling ark going anyhow?) 1845 marked the end of construction of the oldest rail tunnel in North America. The Cobble Hill Tunnel is no longer in use, long since taken back by the rats and roaches and grafitti artists and. Tours still run through the tunnels if you’re fortunate enough to catch this darkened corridor of history.