Snowpiercer Movie Analysis

I’m a movie enthusiast. I could sit bingeing on films and shows all day long, forgetting absolutely the concept of time. Others might think of this as a waste of time and that there are many other urgent things that someone should do. Most people who are too busy with other things in life tend to think that movies are just meaningless, and their sole purpose is entertainment. My opinion, however, is that the silver screen has abundant knowledge to offer, from moral tales to valuable life lessons. To be specific, political lessons and views can be extracted from films. There is no doubt that they might be entertaining, but dig a little bit deeper and you can see the reflection of our society. Take “Snowpiercer” into consideration how it inhabits a Marxist view and addresses the problem of class inequity. And ultimately how it is nearly impossible to solve political dilemmas.

Snowpiercer, directed by Bong Joon Ho, is set in the dystopian future when humanities’ last effort to prevent global warming backfired - like how Runciman has said: ”Governments tend to screw up complex, open-ended tasks like that” (Politics: Ideas in Profile). The Earth went into a man-made Ice Age and the last of humanity lives on a train built by a millionaire named Wilford. This little “world” on a train is where the millionaire recreated a society filled with discrimination and privileges indicated by where they live on the train: “free-loaders” live at the tail and those who paid an enormous sum of money to guarantee themselves a slot for survival live near the conductor. Due to the discrimination, abuse, and exploitation, those living at the back station planned a coup d’etat for 18 years to regain control of the train and find their salvation. What’s the result of the movie?

In most fictional films, directors tend to embed Marxism into the frame of the movies’ plot. Marx’s ideas are based on “the effect of capitalism on labor, productivity, and economic development and he argues for a worker revolution to overturn capitalism in favor of communism”("Marxism: Theory, Effects, and Examples", 2021). Money is considered the main motive of social movements. However, there exists no such money in the Snowpiercer universe, the only currency that they possess are basic survival needs such as food and water. The uprisings tried to capture the water resource (their means of production) and use them as a trading tool to gain back their basic human rights. “Revolutions are the locomotives of the history” (Karl Marx, 1849), where there are oppressions and social inequality between the rich and the poor, there will be revolutions bound to happen sooner or later. The spark that ignited the uprising in Snowpiercer was cast since the inauguration of the train, at which time the poor had to turn to cannibalism to survive. Not even infants were safe from the hungry cannibalistic passengers. The matter did get elevated as the god-like Wilford eventually provided them with protein blocks to feed on, which later on they found out that these were made out of cockroaches and crickets. Harsh mistreatments and exploitations occur daily. People and children get taken away from their families for pure entertainment or used as literal mechanical parts; adults get beaten and killed with barbaric methods. Even without the existence of currencies, exploitation does not cease to exist apparently. All of the oppressions that the tail passengers had to endure became too much and soon, the sparks turned into flames. They stood up with a wish to change the leader, to force the rich to accept a new communist society where everyone will have more rights and be more equal.

All of their sufferings happened because of discrimination that spans from generation to generation. Everyone at the front of the train got all the goods and comfort that one could have. The adults went to spas and clubs, wore expensive clothes made out of fur and silk. The rich got to eat proper good food and drank wine, drenched in a luxurious lifestyle. Those living at the tail of the train, the bottom of society, have the exact opposite life: they live in poverty, famine, and are always under the oppression of security guards. The train’s second in command further declared this as she said “A shoe doesn't belong on your head. A shoe belongs on your foot. A hat belongs on your head. I am a hat. You are a shoe.” The differences between them seem to continue in the future as they saw the sight of a classroom for small kids. Rather than being taught about science, maths, and literature, they were taught to praise the one and only, Mr.Wilford. The scene resembles a cult more than a normal classroom as they sing songs about how Wilford is their savior, how he is their god. They were also taught that those living at the caboose were savages, barbarians, and no good and that they should all look down on them. The problem of discrimination is similar to our present world. In the wealthiest country exist the poorest people. While some bathe themselves in comfort and joy, others struggle to try to fend themselves with every penny they could have to continue and survive day by day. Being so different in wealth, some well-off people show disrespect towards laborers and service workers by using insults, discriminative and rude words. The necessitated people are also more targeted by the police force and face justice inequity with no defense for themselves.

Towards the end of the movie, the social dilemma does not seem resolvable anymore. The leader of the rebels, Curtis (played by Chris Evans) found out that they were part of a scheme created by Wilford and his mentor, that all of the cullings were already planned and it aims to decrease the population, to maintain an ecological balance. Their final hope for salvation was to exit the train after realizing there are no alternatives. Just like in the real world, there is no way to abolish capitalism as it has rooted itself deep into the structure of society. According to director Bong’s point of view, the only way for us to escape the power and the income inequality is “exploding the order as it exists and embarking upon something new entirely, even if that something new leads to certain death” ("The radical politics of sci-fi film Snowpiercer", 2014). In the movie, as the train exploded, that “world” ceased to exist and opened up a new future as the last two survivors voyage into the primitive world like Adam and Eve. There is no foreseeable future for the last two survivors of humanity and what danger they may encounter. The last frame of the movie was a polar bear, indicating the restoration of the environment as well as the possible re-establishment of a new society that the last of us will possibly create. Back in the real world, it is impossible to simply blow up capitalist societies or demand for everyone to accept communism as it would create mass chaos everywhere, leading to mass destruction and the end of humanity as we know it. Greed and pride are deeply engraved into humans' nature as they are among the “Seven Deadly Sins”, therefore, it is impossible for every citizen in the world to be selfless, to be comfortable with being equal to others. Were there a time when people are truly equal, someone could still rebel and demand for more, to surpass others, thus, the cycle once again repeats itself. 

Films can be very intriguing and alluring while politics usually appear to be very dry and distant from us. However, politics is present all around us and it is crucial to actively engage in the world of politicians to ensure a more stable and prosperous future. So the possible alternative method to learning about politics might be putting both together and one can create masterpieces that are not only interesting to watch but also convey provoking political messages and lessons towards audiences. For it to be effective, one should always watch movies with an analytical set of mind and always pay attention to the most indiscernible details that the directors have to offer.