“Snowpiercer†might brighten those precious family moments.
First, a little fascinating background.
Although about 80 percent in English, “Snowpiercer†is a South Korean-made film based on a 1982 French graphic novel. It is eclectic, to be sure.
Directed by Bong Joon-ho, the opening premise of “Snowpiercer†is that the whole world is completely frozen over and all that remains of humanity is on a perpetually-moving train.
Immediately, the movie makes bold, emotional strokes in its excellent world-building. Always, the characters inform the environment, and the setting is built from visual detail and tonal control. The world forms slowly and from the ground up, provoking questions and always giving new things to look at and consider.
In fact, the movie seems capable of constantly being surprising. Each scene adds something new and fascinating to look at. Expectations are consistently thwarted.
Violence is a significant part of the numerous action set pieces. Each new sequence seems always to add something that hadn’t been seen before. Either violence is executed in a new, creative way, or the way a scene is shot is utterly changed. Color and light is used as perspectives shift to a level of visual genius.
The contained, claustrophobic environment lends itself to the focus of story and the intimate nature of the violence and personal stakes. The train is linear and limited, leading the character and story to only go one way: forward.
For the entire length of the film, I was constantly riveted. My pulse raced. My jaw hung open, paralyzed. I was constantly in disbelief at what I was seeing — the disgusting, beautiful ballet of brutality and storytelling at every level.
Perhaps it was the respectful and subtle way that early violence was portrayed that lead me initially to think the bloodshed was relatively muted. But it was well into the film that I realized that the true nature of the brutality. The opening is not slow by any means. It’s calm, specific and tense. But the contrast between the initial establishment of tone and the onslaught that follows only serves to underscore the attention given to momentum and emotional investment.
And there’s a lot of death. So, so much death.
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I really don’t say this lightly, but the performances are pretty much beyond reproach.
Chris Evans plays the hero protagonist and marks the title card with a scowl, dark beard and wielding an axe. Evans elevates the part, adding layers of ability I never knew he had. He isn’t just a beef cake. The man is an actor.
But it’s impossible to beat Tilda Swinton playing Mason. She is a complete master at what she does. Swinton commands attention every time she’s onscreen, impossible to take your eyes off her, and the many esoteric camera choices give her off-kilter attitude even further ghoulish authority.
So I’m just going to come out and say that this might possibly be the best movie I’ve seen all year. It’s a movie that sticks with you, and it’s certainly still sticking with me.
Graham Gentz is a film and theater reviewer for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @DailyLobo.