Snowpiercer (10/21/2014)

Rated R for violence, language and drug content.

Starring Ed Harris, Chris Evans, Alison Pill, Jamie Bell
and John Hurt

Directed by Bong Joon-Ho (The Host)

Snowpiercer is one of the darker films of 2014…but this one serves a purpose.

A post-apocalyptic ice age forces humanity’s last survivors aboard a globe-spanning super train. One man (Chris Evans) will risk everything to lead a revolt for control of the engine and the future of the world.

Honestly, I had no idea what to expect as I sat down to watch Snowpiercer. And as the credits rolled, I had little explanation for what I just watched.

I like sci-fi films as much as the next guy, but this one was really bizarre and left many questions unanswered. Like why did they need to eat each other at the start of their trip, and then suddenly this protein bar-machine appeared. It seems hard to accept that the magnificent Wilford would make this train with room for this low-class people, but with no way to feed them – especially since he “needs” them.

I understand the train will run for eternity, but am I really supposed to believe it never needs maintenance? Or better yet, what does the engine actually run on? Can anyone help me??

The biggest question I have is why did Curtis choose to destroy the engine once he had control of it. He basically doomed the whole train, including the people he just saved (… and don’t get me started on how he did it, sigh).

Finally at the end of the movie the surviving passengers step outside and into the cold “harsh” weather. The same winter that froze a man’s arm solid in seven minutes earlier in the film… another head scratcher.

The list of these “What?!” moments just goes on and on and on. Some are short and brief, but others really mess with what the film is actually trying to do. So even if you may get the metaphor, you are left with an empty feeling when you are finished watching the film.

Besides being a very dark metaphor, this film is actually pretty violent and graphic. I found it almost entirely disturbing so I’m giving it a “skip it.”

SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
There is no sex or nudity in the film and the language is on the mild side, but the violence is both dark and disturbing.

CONVERSATION STARTER:

1. And your school you do not have train cars to separate you bye “class”, but what are some of the ways students distinguish or separate themselves?


2. What “group” are you in?


3. How does your “group” “rank” compare to the other groups?

Read Philippians 2:3-4

Don’t be jealous or proud, but be humble and consider others more important than yourselves. Care about them as much as you care about yourselves.


4. How does this verse contrast to the film and to your school?


5. What can you do this week to better live out this verse?