After shattering box office records in South Korea (the nation which co-financed the production), director Bong Joon Ho’s science fiction film ‘Snowpiercer‘ is now getting ready to expand into other countries. In France, the final two trailers have been released in preparation for the film’s release. This is notable because the movie is actually based on a French graphic novel ‘Le Transperceneige’ (the film’s name in that country) by Jean-Marc Rochette.
Featuring an all-star, international cast– Chris Evans, Kang-ho Song, John Hurt, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, Alison Pill, Ed Harris, Ewen Bremner, Octavia Spencer, and Ko Asung– ‘Snowpiercer’ depicts a dystopian future, where an attempt to halt global warming resulted in the Earth being covered in snow and ice, killing nearly all life, save the few human survivors on board a never-stopping train that travels the globe. On the train, two castes have emerged, the privileged who live in the front of the train and the underclass who live in poverty in the back. Eventually, the oppressed rise up and attempt to seize control of the train’s perpetual-motion engine.
Not only was the film a financial success in South Korea, it is receiving rave reviews from critics as well.
Pierce Conrad from Twitch said:
“Bong Joon-ho has created with Snowpiercer the most accomplished overseas work of any Korean filmmaker to-date. While it remains to be seen whether or not mainstream western audiences will embrace Bong’s dark and ferocious genre film, in many ways he’s already beaten Hollywood at its own game. A tour de force of science fiction, Snowpiercer is a singular and breathtaking cinematic experience.”
Scott Foundas from Variety expressed:
“Bong gets away with much that he almost surely would have had to curtail if working at an American studio… By the end, the film reveals itself as a surprisingly thoughtful contemplation of man’s inhumanity to his fellow man, and whether mankind is worth trying to save at all. Somber stuff, to be sure, but not without flashes of hope, and a steady infusion of Bong’s dark, quirky humor.”
Clarence Tsui from The Hollywood Reporter called it:
A politically charged, fantastical action thriller, which is both contemplative and entertaining, hammering home points about social injustice of the present day — but maybe a bit too overtly.
Check out these two trailers and judge for yourself. First we have just a short teaser clip that focuses on the conflict of the rising revolution:
The second is a lengthier look at the film that gives a much more in-depth look at the film’s premise and includes some glorious visuals that almost make you want to see the movie simply for the eye candy factor. (And also makes you think, “Man, that’s a big ass train!”)
‘Snowpiercer’ won’t hit the U.S. or other English-speaking territories until an undetermined date next year, as the film’s distributor for these regions, The Weinstein Company, wants the film edited down.
The trailers look quite exciting though and the fact that the subject matter really does seem to reflect, in a futuristic way, our own modern society makes it that much more intriguing! Are you looking forward to ‘Snowpiercer’? Comment below!
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, ScreenRant
