The new ice age, and seventeen years of winter. Humanity's last refuge, the "Snowpiercer" train.
On a frozen Earth, ravaged by climate catastrophe, one train endlessly circles the tracks, carrying the remaining survivors. At the tail end of the train, resembling a slum filled with cold and hungry people, and at the front, selected individuals revel in luxury cabins, indulging in alcohol and drugs. The world inside the train is anything but equal.
In its seventeenth year of operation, Curtis, a young leader from the tail section, ignites a long planned revolt. Seizing control of the train's engine, he aims to liberate the tail section and ultimately free the entire train from the absolute rule of Wilford, the tyrant hiding in the front engine compartment. Curtis and the tail section residents race towards the front of the train, facing unforeseen challenges along the way...
The original score (background music OST) for "Snowpiercer" was composed by Hollywood veteran composer Marco Beltrami.
Beltrami, who established himself as a mainstream Hollywood composer with the "Scream" series, has been active in horror and thriller films such as "Resident Evil," "Hellboy," and "World War Z." He has also participated in a variety of genres, earning nominations for the Academy Award for Best Original Score for films like "3:10 to Yuma" and "The Hurt Locker."
The score for "Snowpiercer" showcases Beltrami's distinctive musical style. With its gloomy and dark dystopian sound, minor key themes, piercing electronic sounds layered over wailing orchestral performances, and pulsating percussion reminiscent of a heartbeat, the music captures the dynamism of the drama and narrative unfolding within the frozen world of the Snowpiercer.
Additionally, Beltrami's collaborator and sound designer, Buck Sanders, collected various sound elements to layer beneath the music, creating a multi-dimensional and immersive soundscape that enhances the score.
Critics abroad have overwhelmingly praised "Snowpiercer," with a freshness rating of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 232 reviews, and an average rating of 8.1 out of 10. Additionally, the film holds the highest Metascore among films released at the time, with a score of 84 based on 36 reviews. Reviews from countries where the film was released also mostly laud the film.
However, overseas audience opinions vary, with the audience score on Rotten Tomatoes being 3.8 out of 5 and only 75% of the audience expressing approval. On IMDb, which primarily reflects general audience ratings, the film scores 7.0 out of 10, lower than the average score for well made Hollywood blockbusters. Generally, critics and film enthusiasts praise the film, but general audience opinions, both popularly and artistically, are divided, similar to the response to director Bong Joon-ho's previous film, "The Host."
In Korea, evaluations are also mixed. Those who praise the film appreciate its thought provoking story, the natural integration of Korean elements, and its departure from the original comic, as well as the rarity of attempting the SF genre in Korean cinema amidst a market saturated with drama genres like "Miracle in Cell No. 7." Additionally, some find enjoyment in uncovering hidden backstories, settings, and meanings in the film.
Conversely, critics point out the absence of narrative, lack of action sequences, excessive violence, unsatisfactory ending, flaws in the setting, inadequate explanations, and ideological issues. While the concept of an eternal train journey is intriguing, the film fails to delve into how it is possible, glossing over it as a fantasy element. Some viewers, especially those familiar with the original material, may not have an issue with the lack of action, but fans misled by the spectacle-heavy advertising may express disappointment. Complaints about the ending being anticlimactic and the flaws in the setting are common, along with criticism of the lack of coherence in the story. Many of the plot holes and setting flaws could have been easily resolved with a slight adjustment to the detail that the train journey has only lasted a maximum of 17 years since the onset of the ice age.
There's also criticism about the film's use of the train as a metaphor for social class being unrealistic. Some viewers find the film's editing to be unfriendly, with many scenes seemingly cut short, and some attribute their dislike of the film to what they perceive as director Bong's personal ideologies being injected into the narrative.
Overall, opinions on "Snowpiercer" are divided, with critics and enthusiasts generally praising its unique concept, while general audiences criticize its narrative and execution.
Initially, there were predictions that the film would surpass 10 million viewers, with a daily increase of 600,000 to 700,000 viewers. However, the sudden decrease in audience numbers led to eventual failure, leading some to speculate that it was the last resort of a film relying on media play. However, it cannot be entirely dismissed as negative. Director Bong Joon-ho primarily focused on overseas revenue, and while people went to see the film because of Bong Joon ho's name and the cast, it may not have resonated with Western audiences as expected.
Compared to critical acclaim, general netizen ratings on the internet were not initially favorable. Male ratings were higher than female ratings, with specialist ratings in the 4-point range. However, while specialist ratings for "Snowpiercer" were in the 7point range, netizen ratings were initially lower but eventually reached the 8-point range. Some argued that this was due to curiosity-driven audiences, while others questioned whether it was due to media manipulation. Additionally, given that other films, such as "The Terror Live," received praise from the press, it raises doubts about who orchestrated the media play.
Some argue that claiming Bong Joon-ho succeeded again without mentioning the rapid decline in viewership is unfair. However, "Snowpiercer," aside from "The Host," outperformed Bong Joonho's previous works. Those who claim that "Snowpiercer" relied solely on media play or Bong Joon-ho's name overlook the failure of "Mr. Go," a film by Kim Yong-hwa, who never failed commercially despite substantial investment. Furthermore, dismissing a film as a bubble solely because it didn't exceed 10 million viewers is absurd. Even though "Snowpiercer" may not match the artistic quality of "Mother" or "Memories of Murder," comparing its commercial success to its artistic merit is unjustified. Films like "Avatar," "Jurassic World," and "The Avengers" are among the highest-grossing films globally, yet their success isn't solely attributed to their exceptional artistic qualities.
The fundamental problem with this argument lies in the forced correlation between commercial success and artistic quality. The comparison between commercial success and artistic quality, such as failure, mediocrity, or a gap, is largely meaningless. Moreover, not all films that exceed 10 million viewers are hailed as masterpieces by critics, nor are those below that mark dismissed as bubbles. The sudden decline in "Snowpiercer" viewership may indeed reflect some influence from factors like the director and casting, but to claim that it failed solely because it relied on Bong Joon-ho's name or media play is a superficial conclusion.
On the other hand, horror novelist Stephen King praised the film on Twitter, which garnered attention. Overseas film media frequently listed "Snowpiercer" in their yearend rankings, including The New York Times' list of the best films of the year. Additionally, with a freshness rating of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, the film ranked among the top 10 best films of 2014.
The film was produced using film cameras, a method that had largely transitioned to digital filming at the time. As of now, it is recorded as the last Korean film made using film cameras.
The movie employed both English speaking actors and Korean actors in leading and supporting roles. The production companies were Moho Film and Opus Pictures, with CJ Entertainment handling domestic distribution and The Weinstein Company handling distribution in the United States.
Reportedly, CJ invested over 500 billion won, making it the most expensive film in Korean cinema history. The number of theaters screening the film in the United States increased to 152, reaching around 250 theaters from the first week of July 2014 onwards.
Chris Evans, while filming "Snowpiercer" in Prague, had to participate in additional filming for a post credits scene for "The Avengers," even though principal filming for "The Avengers" had already concluded. He had to wear a facial mask during filming because he didn't want to shave his beard, which was required for his role in "Snowpiercer."
The protein blocks featured in the film, which are given to the tail section passengers, closely resemble yakult, leading viewers to recommend eating yakult while watching the movie. The sales of yakult reportedly increased after the film's release, with CGV even selling their version of yakult in theaters.
Tilda Swinton, who played Minister Mason, reportedly enjoyed eating the protein blocks the most, while Jamie Bell, who played Edgar, spat them out into a trash can between takes. Most of the actors pretended to eat the blocks, then immediately spat them out when the scene was over. Even director Bong Joon-ho admitted that the blocks didn't taste good.
The film was shot on film in the Czech Republic, and after its release, all film processing facilities in Korea closed down. Therefore, unless another film is shot on film overseas, "Snowpiercer" remains the last Korean commercial film shot on film.
Marco Beltrami, known for composing music for famous films like "I, Robot" and "World War Z," composed the music for "Snowpiercer." He composed music for as many as eight films in that year.
John Hurt, before filming began, asked director Bong Joonho to experience a traditional Korean exorcism. However, due to the discomfort of using a pig's head in the ritual, they used a picture of a pig on a tablet instead.
Bong Joon-ho received the Order of Arts and Letters, a French award, thanks to this film.
In Korea, the movie was initially only broadcast on movie specialty channels but is scheduled to be broadcast on MBC, a terrestrial network, for the first time on March 21, 2020.
A follow up joke about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory appeared on YouTube in 2018, attracting attention for its unexpectedly high quality.