Ensign Lestat's Film Log, 31/10/2014
Man, have I been tardy. Laziness is addictive. I've been meaning to write down my thoughts for a very long time. And I've constantly found an excuse not to do it.
It's been months since I first saw 'Snowpiercer', and at least a couple of months since I watched it for the second time. And as much as I've tried, it has been nagging me throughout, trying to wind its way onto my blog.
Well, as the Borg say, resistance is futile. Hence, I concede.
Director Joon-ho Bong brings to the screen the critically acclaimed French graphic novel 'Le Transperceneige'. For those of you still not in the know, the title is derived from the main set of the film, the train of the same name.
The Snowpiercer's job is precisely that, pierce the ice and snow-caked Earth as it circles its path, for eternity. An experiment leads the world to an icy doom. Survivors of this desolation find a home aboard engineer Wilford's train.
The train holds what's left of humanity, and humanity does what it is best at, segregates, oppresses and condemns each other. The tail section, where most of the action takes place, is squalid and overpopulated. The residents live on rations and under the tyrannical whims of the front section's spokesperson's Mason (Tilda Swinton).
At this juncture, a good seventeen years after the train has been running, our protagonist, Curtis (Chris Evans), is ready with a plan to make it all the way to the Engine and finally turn the tables. At his side is faithful companion Edgar (Jamie Bell) and reluctant hero Tanya (Octavia Spencer). They follow the lead of Gilliam (John Hurt) who has indepth knowledge of the Engine and the train's machinations.
The story starts near the end of the planning stage, which is always a good place to start as it forces the pace of the story. Of course, that's not to say we're not given an introduction to this world. It's pretty much the most intense and quite possibly one of the most disturbing introductions to a world in fantastical film history for a while. Boy, it's pretty unhealthy for your soul to dwell on that for too long.
It's evident that Edgar and Curtis are raring to get their plan underway, but both remind the other of the importance of timing. Well, that sort of goes to hell when Curtis spots an opportunity for them to spring into action. The timeline is brought forward drastically, based almost completely on a hunch. And for a while, it works. Swimmingly in fact, till their road out of here turns out to be the stoned drug addict Nangoong Minsoo (Kang-ho Song) and his equally delirious daughter Yona (Ah-sung Ko). They appear to be mostly unhelpful, interested in the drugs more than work. Curtis and Edgar begin a semi-effective barter system with them on a drugs-for-work basis. It moves slowly.
However, and here's where the real spoilers lie (so if you've not seen the film yet, you are missing out on a huge part of life), things go sideways much sooner than expected.
Curtis' plan is sound. But the hurried manner in which it is finally executed is based on his hunch. A huge hunch that the front-sectioners' guns don't have bullets. So they go in all gung ho. Which works well except for the fact that you don't only need guns to get your point across.
At the moment Yona reveals herself to be a pre-cog, our band of heroes are faced with a roomful of masked League of Assassin types. They stare defiantly in the face of our grime-writ protagonists while they gut a fish and pass it around as a party favour, dipping each blade in its blood. It's a weird ritual which would be laughable if the moment weren't so wrought with tension.
The ensuing fight is slowed down, which imbues it with a tense momentum. The scene is devoid of music, even of sound. There is blood spraying everywhere. It could be called gruesome, but you've lived through the introduction as well as the horrifying scene where the raw materials for the tail-sectioners' protein bars is revealed to us. Hence, blood and gore will not phase you.
What will however, is the unfortunate knowledge that there are guns with bullets, bloody big ones as well. And as if that isn't a sad truth enough, one of the most beautiful moments soon takes place.
The battle with the ninjas appears to be coming to a close, when, as I mentioned, guns show up. As does Mason, threatening the tailers (I'm going to call them that from now on). At this point, one of Mason's cronies gets the better of Edgar and takes him hostage. Curtis is caught in a conundrum - head for Mason and lose Edgar, or save Edgar and lose their greatest bargaining tool. He chooses the former, for the sake of the mission, and the look in Edgar's eyes says it all. There is pain, sorrow, relief and resignation as the lovely lad gets his throat slit.
I think that moment is beautiful because it's a mighty sacrifice made by both Curtis and Edgar, but done by both for the greater good.
Edgar's death is succeeded by some of the weirder aspects of train-life. At this juncture let me mention that the tone changes from coach to coach, which is very unnerving. I, in fact, disliked the inconsistent tone quite a bit the first time I watched the film. But greater mulling on the subject made me realise that the story itself benefited from the change.
Curtis et. al. end up in a sushi bar, then a school which specialises in Wilford propaganda (a weirdly disturbing rhyme about death is thrown in for good measure), then they go through the salon and night club coaches.
Before long, with a number of gun battles in between, Curtis, Nangoong and Yona are the last to survive. Gilliam has been killed and a great many tailers have been massacred.
As Nangoong prepares to break into the Engine room, Curtis breaks down with a number of disturbing revelations. Yes, the word disturbing does creep up a lot when associated with this film. Call it the nerves of success, but just as they're about to win, Curtis seems unable to complete his mission. Why? We soon find out.
Throughout the film, Curtis alludes to the fact that people, especially he, are not everything that they seem. He says this when Gilliam mentions how much Edgar worships him. He retreats from talk of leadership for similar reasons once Edgar's died. But, the reason he's so unsure of himself is because, he knows the depths that humanity can sink to. In the early years aboard the train, cannibalism was the only source of food for the tailers. Yup, you read that right. People went for the weak and the vulnerable. Babies were the most obvious choice. Curtis tells the story beautifully. Waiting till the end to reveal that he had been one of these cannibals, and Gilliam had saved him. Gilliam cut off his own arm to save the life of a baby - that baby was Edgar. People certainly are not what they seem.
Curtis is soon ushered into the Engine room, while Yona and Nangoong fend off the marauding fronters (yes, I made that one up too). More revelations surface, most surprisingly that of Wilford and Gilliam being in cahoots and planning all the revolutions as an excuse for population control. As the world of Curtis begins to fall apart, it becomes evident that humanity is simply devoid of anything resembling a soul - Wilford employs little children (from the tail-section, of course) to repair unreachable sections of the train. This is the ultimate straw that breaks Curtis' back.
Just as he is about to vent his outrage, Nangoong blows open one of the outside doors. In his attempt to save Tanya's child, Tim (recently revealed to us as one of the kids fixing the Engine), Curtis finally cuts off his arm. This should be a tragic moment, but it's played out as a glorious success. Gilliam had one arm because he traded the other for Edgar's life. This was obviously eating Curtis up inside - the guilt of his previous actions. This was the ultimate in his heroism. This, for him, wasn't a sacrifice, it was the mark of his true leadership.
His leadership, however, never comes to fruition. The train derails and Nangoong and Curtis sacrifice themselves to protect Yona and Tim.
In the end, the two children emerge in a desolate land, covered in snow. Their only sign of hope? A young polar bear - life has finally found its way back on Earth.
I don't usually write out the entire story when writing a blog, but I guess I just wanted to relive this one. 'Snowpiercer' is a story that's going to live with you for much longer than you want it to. It spoke to me because of its realistic and dreary outlook on humanity. I have a very morbid view of the world. And, I freely admit that people are the worst. There's a line in this film will stay with me forever, because it makes perfect sense and sums up just what humanity is about. 'You’ve seen what people do without leadership… They devour each other.' Wilford (Ed Harris) says this to Curtis in an attempt to exonerate his crimes against the tailers. It doesn't work, Curtis continues to despise him, but it is, in essence, what humanity is about. It's also said to a man who is unsure of his capabilities as a future leader, so it just makes the moment all the tense.
I haven't read the book, because I can't find an English version, but I would definitely love to see how close the film stuck to its source. Thankfully, the film works really well on its.
Another interesting point to note, is that the cast is rather diverse. I think the benefit of hiring an overseas director is that the cast is likely to be more global. I think it's always easier to relate to a world that looks seemingly like the one we live in, full of people with color and of different abilities. And, in the end, the only remaining members of humanity are a Korean girl and an African-American boy. Chew on that.
I know I've been heaping on the praise, but not all was perfect with the film. When I first saw this film, the inconsistent tone seemed to mar its perfection. That's grown on me since, thankfully.
The effects, though, didn't seem top notch. I know I read at least one article which happily dismissed the poor effects because that writer was in love with the film, but I'm not that blind. Better effects would have just enhanced an already brilliant experience.
There's the case of the pre-cog that still bothers. I just don't think Yona's pre-cognitive powers added to the film in anyway. I am sure the little information she provides could have been garnered in some other fashion. I felt, throughout, like Yona was an extra cog in the wheel. I'm sure it worked well in the book, but it did not translate all that well on screen.
Barring that, I still feel that ending heralds a much bleaker future than we would hope. I wrote an article about it (Anarchy Assault) when I first saw the film. My thoughts have not changed much on the issue. Humanity will no doubt die out, though there is hope for the Earth's other creatures. There's also the fact that Yona and Tim are likely to suffer long and hard in the cold, harsh weather. They're kids and they're on their own. So, yeah, it's not a hopeful ending at all. Not from my point of view anyway.
When I watched this the second time, I realised that I actually love this film. Actively love it. Seems a far cry from my usual fare, but this one spoke to me. It's been a year of stuff speaking to me apparently. And that's why, despite the many months in between viewing and writing, I felt it was imperative to get my thoughts down.
I was interested in this film from the very outset - from the very first trailer. And yes, it helped that it starred Chris Evans and Jamie Bell.
The gritty cinematography gives this film that added dynamic. There's something so painfully honest in its portrayal of the slums of the tail-section. The cramped quarters, the abject poverty. The tyrannical reign of those with more - that really seals the deal. Wilford asks Curtis a striking question near the end of the film, "When was the last time you were alone?". It's such a simple question, and to most of us watching the film, we seem never to be alone, perennially connected to the outside world through the internet and mobile phones. We aren't truly alone, and a fare few of us don't even want to be. But, for Curtis and his kin, there's never a moment to themselves. No privacy, no true ownership.
When Wilford gives Curtis a moment alone, Curtis bursts into tears, tears left unshed from so many years of internal torment, as well as those for his recent losses. It's a powerful scene that says a lot without a word being spoken.
It all comes down to the acting, and the director brings out the best in his entire cast. From the cooky Andrew (Ewen Bremner) to the stoic but desperate Tanya (when is Octavia Spencer not great?). John Hurt plays to his strengths as the mentor Gilliam. But Swinton's disappearing act is astounding. She is unrecognizable as a character originally written to be male. She pulls it off brilliantly, astute and tyrannical when things are going her way, mewling and simpering when buttering up Curtis.
Kang-ho Song adeptly plays the stoned but brilliant Nangoong Minsoo. He'll make you chuckle and ponder over his every action.
There's also Luke Pasqualino who has the non-speaking role of Gilliam's aid, Grey. He's athletic and weirdly distracting. I kid you not. He comes in partway through the film and basically takes the place of Edgar. He adds a lot to the film despite not speaking. There's a faithful loyalty in his character that somewhat restores your faith in humanity.
Jamie Bell is the striking infusion of energy and youth that this film needs. He's supposed to be only
seventeen, which is a bit of stretch, but he embodies Edgar well. Cocky and determined, he's much the opposite of Curtis' languid, strong silent-type. I enjoy Jamie Bell's work, and his Edgar is startlingly beautiful in such a horrible world. It's the little things that get you, and as I mentioned before, the aggrieved yet resigned look in his eyes during his death scene stayed with me for a long time.
But let's come around to the real reason this film winds its way into your heart. It's that big hulk of a creature called Chris Evans. The pathos, melancholy, determination and anger is written all over his face. He's quietly expressive, if that makes any sense. Chris, I have realised, is very able to make a person cry during his crying scenes - it's always so genuine. I've been following Chris Evans' work for a long time, all thanks to my sister's excellent taste and I've watched a lot of his work, much more than I care to remember. He's adept at all his roles, but is always able to take it to the next level in the roles that matter. His Mace in 'Sunshine' could have been forgettable had he not made Mace's sacrifice so grand. His Steve Rogers in 'Captain America' could just have been any other American superhero, but he adds in so much emotion, especially in 'The Winter Soldier'.
Curtis is a flawed, reluctant hero, and it seems befitting that the guy who almost turned down the role of Captain America plays Curtis.
What makes 'Snowpiercer' standout is that it remains an oddly relevant commentary on society, even though the basis of its story is fantasy. Realism is the added key element to the story. The horrors we so easily inflict on each other. The evils we condone as long as we cannot see them. I can't say it enough, this film, this story, it was made to live with you forever.
Still not convinced? Well, Buzzfeed agrees with me.
Man, have I been tardy. Laziness is addictive. I've been meaning to write down my thoughts for a very long time. And I've constantly found an excuse not to do it.
It's been months since I first saw 'Snowpiercer', and at least a couple of months since I watched it for the second time. And as much as I've tried, it has been nagging me throughout, trying to wind its way onto my blog.
Well, as the Borg say, resistance is futile. Hence, I concede.
Director Joon-ho Bong brings to the screen the critically acclaimed French graphic novel 'Le Transperceneige'. For those of you still not in the know, the title is derived from the main set of the film, the train of the same name.
The Snowpiercer's job is precisely that, pierce the ice and snow-caked Earth as it circles its path, for eternity. An experiment leads the world to an icy doom. Survivors of this desolation find a home aboard engineer Wilford's train.
The train holds what's left of humanity, and humanity does what it is best at, segregates, oppresses and condemns each other. The tail section, where most of the action takes place, is squalid and overpopulated. The residents live on rations and under the tyrannical whims of the front section's spokesperson's Mason (Tilda Swinton).
At this juncture, a good seventeen years after the train has been running, our protagonist, Curtis (Chris Evans), is ready with a plan to make it all the way to the Engine and finally turn the tables. At his side is faithful companion Edgar (Jamie Bell) and reluctant hero Tanya (Octavia Spencer). They follow the lead of Gilliam (John Hurt) who has indepth knowledge of the Engine and the train's machinations.
 |
| We move forward. |
It's evident that Edgar and Curtis are raring to get their plan underway, but both remind the other of the importance of timing. Well, that sort of goes to hell when Curtis spots an opportunity for them to spring into action. The timeline is brought forward drastically, based almost completely on a hunch. And for a while, it works. Swimmingly in fact, till their road out of here turns out to be the stoned drug addict Nangoong Minsoo (Kang-ho Song) and his equally delirious daughter Yona (Ah-sung Ko). They appear to be mostly unhelpful, interested in the drugs more than work. Curtis and Edgar begin a semi-effective barter system with them on a drugs-for-work basis. It moves slowly.
 |
| Uncanny heroes. |
Curtis' plan is sound. But the hurried manner in which it is finally executed is based on his hunch. A huge hunch that the front-sectioners' guns don't have bullets. So they go in all gung ho. Which works well except for the fact that you don't only need guns to get your point across.
At the moment Yona reveals herself to be a pre-cog, our band of heroes are faced with a roomful of masked League of Assassin types. They stare defiantly in the face of our grime-writ protagonists while they gut a fish and pass it around as a party favour, dipping each blade in its blood. It's a weird ritual which would be laughable if the moment weren't so wrought with tension.
 |
| We don't scare easy. |
What will however, is the unfortunate knowledge that there are guns with bullets, bloody big ones as well. And as if that isn't a sad truth enough, one of the most beautiful moments soon takes place.
 |
| Edgar. |
I think that moment is beautiful because it's a mighty sacrifice made by both Curtis and Edgar, but done by both for the greater good.
Edgar's death is succeeded by some of the weirder aspects of train-life. At this juncture let me mention that the tone changes from coach to coach, which is very unnerving. I, in fact, disliked the inconsistent tone quite a bit the first time I watched the film. But greater mulling on the subject made me realise that the story itself benefited from the change.
Curtis et. al. end up in a sushi bar, then a school which specialises in Wilford propaganda (a weirdly disturbing rhyme about death is thrown in for good measure), then they go through the salon and night club coaches.
Before long, with a number of gun battles in between, Curtis, Nangoong and Yona are the last to survive. Gilliam has been killed and a great many tailers have been massacred.
As Nangoong prepares to break into the Engine room, Curtis breaks down with a number of disturbing revelations. Yes, the word disturbing does creep up a lot when associated with this film. Call it the nerves of success, but just as they're about to win, Curtis seems unable to complete his mission. Why? We soon find out.
 |
| The flawed hero. |
Curtis is soon ushered into the Engine room, while Yona and Nangoong fend off the marauding fronters (yes, I made that one up too). More revelations surface, most surprisingly that of Wilford and Gilliam being in cahoots and planning all the revolutions as an excuse for population control. As the world of Curtis begins to fall apart, it becomes evident that humanity is simply devoid of anything resembling a soul - Wilford employs little children (from the tail-section, of course) to repair unreachable sections of the train. This is the ultimate straw that breaks Curtis' back.
 |
| The mark of a leader. |
His leadership, however, never comes to fruition. The train derails and Nangoong and Curtis sacrifice themselves to protect Yona and Tim.
 |
| Survivors |
I don't usually write out the entire story when writing a blog, but I guess I just wanted to relive this one. 'Snowpiercer' is a story that's going to live with you for much longer than you want it to. It spoke to me because of its realistic and dreary outlook on humanity. I have a very morbid view of the world. And, I freely admit that people are the worst. There's a line in this film will stay with me forever, because it makes perfect sense and sums up just what humanity is about. 'You’ve seen what people do without leadership… They devour each other.' Wilford (Ed Harris) says this to Curtis in an attempt to exonerate his crimes against the tailers. It doesn't work, Curtis continues to despise him, but it is, in essence, what humanity is about. It's also said to a man who is unsure of his capabilities as a future leader, so it just makes the moment all the tense.
I haven't read the book, because I can't find an English version, but I would definitely love to see how close the film stuck to its source. Thankfully, the film works really well on its.
Another interesting point to note, is that the cast is rather diverse. I think the benefit of hiring an overseas director is that the cast is likely to be more global. I think it's always easier to relate to a world that looks seemingly like the one we live in, full of people with color and of different abilities. And, in the end, the only remaining members of humanity are a Korean girl and an African-American boy. Chew on that.
 |
| A cast of myriad hues. |
The effects, though, didn't seem top notch. I know I read at least one article which happily dismissed the poor effects because that writer was in love with the film, but I'm not that blind. Better effects would have just enhanced an already brilliant experience.
There's the case of the pre-cog that still bothers. I just don't think Yona's pre-cognitive powers added to the film in anyway. I am sure the little information she provides could have been garnered in some other fashion. I felt, throughout, like Yona was an extra cog in the wheel. I'm sure it worked well in the book, but it did not translate all that well on screen.
Barring that, I still feel that ending heralds a much bleaker future than we would hope. I wrote an article about it (Anarchy Assault) when I first saw the film. My thoughts have not changed much on the issue. Humanity will no doubt die out, though there is hope for the Earth's other creatures. There's also the fact that Yona and Tim are likely to suffer long and hard in the cold, harsh weather. They're kids and they're on their own. So, yeah, it's not a hopeful ending at all. Not from my point of view anyway.
 |
| Frozen |
I was interested in this film from the very outset - from the very first trailer. And yes, it helped that it starred Chris Evans and Jamie Bell.
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| Battling side by side. |
When Wilford gives Curtis a moment alone, Curtis bursts into tears, tears left unshed from so many years of internal torment, as well as those for his recent losses. It's a powerful scene that says a lot without a word being spoken.
 |
| Here's the gif. Feel free to weep along. |
Kang-ho Song adeptly plays the stoned but brilliant Nangoong Minsoo. He'll make you chuckle and ponder over his every action.
There's also Luke Pasqualino who has the non-speaking role of Gilliam's aid, Grey. He's athletic and weirdly distracting. I kid you not. He comes in partway through the film and basically takes the place of Edgar. He adds a lot to the film despite not speaking. There's a faithful loyalty in his character that somewhat restores your faith in humanity.
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| Thank you for the shirtlessness, Luke, it's not at all distracting. |
seventeen, which is a bit of stretch, but he embodies Edgar well. Cocky and determined, he's much the opposite of Curtis' languid, strong silent-type. I enjoy Jamie Bell's work, and his Edgar is startlingly beautiful in such a horrible world. It's the little things that get you, and as I mentioned before, the aggrieved yet resigned look in his eyes during his death scene stayed with me for a long time.
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| The brave and the beautiful. |
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| From Captain America to Curtis - the versatility of Chris Evans. |
What makes 'Snowpiercer' standout is that it remains an oddly relevant commentary on society, even though the basis of its story is fantasy. Realism is the added key element to the story. The horrors we so easily inflict on each other. The evils we condone as long as we cannot see them. I can't say it enough, this film, this story, it was made to live with you forever.
Still not convinced? Well, Buzzfeed agrees with me.
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