Adapted from the graphic novel by Jacques Lob and Jean Marc Rochette entitled Le Transperceneige and currently available for streaming on Netflix. "Snowpiercer" is a Bong Joon-ho post-apocalyptic dystopian movie and a study on geoengineering, global warming, and various socio-political issues.
Bong Joon-ho's fifth movie, "Snowpiercer", can be described as Bong's departure from his usual form. This movie barely entails the director's signature satirical commentary. Unlike his previous films, the comedy in this movie is reserved for specific moments only and not as wilful and dynamic as compared to his prior films like "Memories of Murder" and "The Host". For whatever reason, Bong seems to be restraining himself to not over-satirized this movie instead settling to the boundaries set by the movie's genre.
However, "Snowpiercer" still works as an effective allegory even if Bong appears to scale down the complexity of the narrative to satisfy a wider market. This movie also showcases Bong's world-building prowess. Set only inside a train-like setting, it's conspicuous that Bong enjoys mocking the absurdity of the rich amidst a dystopian world. The disco, the sauna, and the salon, he is clearly jeering at what the rich considered as their "needs" in contrast to the needs of an underclass.
In my opinion, "Snowpiercer" is meant to anger the viewers as much as it wants to instigate a meaningful discussion. From the opening narration of a failed geoengineering, which is only the result of the government's procrastination and inattention to global warming, to the illustration of elitism; this movie is an ocean of powerful imagery and symbolism.
Bong Joon-ho is a talented director, critic, and storyteller. What amazes me is how he can combine all of these to entertain and push the viewers to reflect. He challenges us with every film he makes. "Snowpiercer" might not be his most evocative or cathartic film, but it effectively translates all of his principles and ideologies to a language we can all understand.
4/5
