Where to begin? Ok, so… In the past, I’ve very much enjoyed the films of Joon-ho Bong. The majority of them - the fun BARKING DOGS NEVER BITE, the thrilling MEMORIES OF MURDER, the creature feature, THE HOST, and the exemplary MOTHER – are fun, well-made, and enjoyable. So, after months of hearing the internet blowing up about the film (so much so that it insured the foreign-made film a theatrical release), the first few minutes of exposition were, I’ll admit it, challenging. By the time we got through the preface, I was more than skeptical. Then, as the film unfolded, I started hating it… more and more. And by the time our heroes literally STOP FOR SUSHI in the middle of a coup d’état… I hated this film. HATED! Never mind the ludicrous premise. Or the iffy “science.” Never mind the ridiculously contrived plot. Or the whole “we speak two languages” thing… When you hear Captain America say, “You know what I hate about myself? I know what people taste like. I know that babies taste best,” you’re going to want to throw your television out of the window. I guarantee it. The film does have good production values, but… quite honestly, SNOWPIERCER may well be the stupidest film ever made. I mean, dumber than EQUILIBRIUM. More inane than FACE / OFF or BATTLEFIELD EARTH. The question is… why did fandom embrace it so fervently? Yes, the plot is ‘original,’ but… it’s also incredibly stupid. So yeah, SNOWPIERCER is literally all sizzle and no steak. Skip it if you can, but – by all means – see Joon-ho Bong’s other flicks (see above)
1 out of 5 stars
~ Thom Carnell
You might want to avoid other non literal socio-political pieces such as Animal Farm or Delicatessen, but of which are thought of as classics. If you look at these works in their purely literal sense, then yes, you'll be disappointed. Last I checked Animals don't speak, nor do they have a pecking order, heroes don't grab sushi on the way through the revolution, and you can feed people easier with grains, than you can with the flesh of other people. These stories are intended to speak to imbalances in society, without presenting the information in a dull narrative.
ReplyDeleteOh, I get things like metaphor and symbolism... but at the core of Film is Story. SNOWPIERCER's was to heavy of a premise for any kind of "suspension of disbelief." Further, when you have your characters do stupid shit (like get sushi or take a nap during a coup), well... it's unrealistic to expect your audience to follow along. Not an audience with any sense of critical acumen. But hey... stick with us! We're an opinionated group! We're bound to find some things you agree with... sooner or later. :)
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