These days there is one answer - the internet. Any film worth its salt has an extensive strategic online marketing campaign which at its very core sits one very simple but very crucial thing - The Trailer.
Snowpiercer had an A-May-Zing trailer.
That was January 2013. It looked epic, interesting and badass and came from one of the most celebrated Korean directors of the last 20 years, Bong Joon-ho. It was a mental mix of metal and martial arts, with slashes of sci fi and blood.
And then nothing. For months. Years. And the one thing that the internet tells us about Snowpiercer is that everyone has been having the same thought - where the hell is it? Now, let's not get bogged down in the whys and wherefores, but it is suffice to say that due to the traditional "big studio interference" complex, Snowpiercer was wrestled and wrangled away from a wider global audience, and despite being released in Bong's native Korea (breaking several box office records and become the tenth highest grossing domestic film of all time) and France, where the original source material was written (in mid-2013 to rave reviews) it eventually landed sparsely in the U.S. on barely a handful of screens. And in the UK it's still yet to be released.
Snowpiercer had an A-May-Zing trailer.
That was January 2013. It looked epic, interesting and badass and came from one of the most celebrated Korean directors of the last 20 years, Bong Joon-ho. It was a mental mix of metal and martial arts, with slashes of sci fi and blood.
And then nothing. For months. Years. And the one thing that the internet tells us about Snowpiercer is that everyone has been having the same thought - where the hell is it? Now, let's not get bogged down in the whys and wherefores, but it is suffice to say that due to the traditional "big studio interference" complex, Snowpiercer was wrestled and wrangled away from a wider global audience, and despite being released in Bong's native Korea (breaking several box office records and become the tenth highest grossing domestic film of all time) and France, where the original source material was written (in mid-2013 to rave reviews) it eventually landed sparsely in the U.S. on barely a handful of screens. And in the UK it's still yet to be released.
But thanks to the internet, it is available. Somewhere. Somehow.
Years in the future the human race survives a global devastative winter on a giant, constantly moving express train, which smashes through ice blocks with ultimate ease. A severe class system has been established with those in the rear of the train living in post-war-like poverty with no food and the front end elite controlling every aspect of their existence. Inspirer Chris Evans and aspirer Jamie Bell, sick of the established order, make plans to fight their way out of the back end grunge to the front carriages to fight for and find equality for their fellow carriage folk. And find some steak.
And after that two minute setup Snowpiercer throws you straight from the plotting and planning of the fightback and up to the break ins and breakthroughs of the daring ascent. With so much ground to cover - there are a lot of train carriages - there's no time for history and exposition, and Bong takes the wise decision to drop this information throughout the journey rather than in front of it. What follows is a brutal, uncompromising and action packed ride through the various wilds and wonders of people and places that are crammed into the speeding microcosm of human existence. The sheer imagination and scale of some of the carriage ordeals is breathtaking and often mind blowing, and Bong should really take a huge amount of credit for bringing his expert touch and the stylings of Korean cinema to create such a vision. Each section is a new experience, like a lethal lengthy Crystal Maze, with the carriage of armour clad axe wielders a particular highlight.
It's conceptually intriguing, the ideas and thematic context elevating it above other standard action movies. The human condition, the power of survival, class systems, the power of consequence, the morality of sacrifice. And axe fights. The only aspect that really suffers is the story, which at times gets bogged down in Matrix-like monologues and musings, and at other times feels (appropriately) simplistic. It's a natural transfer of Asian cinema tropes, and means at times it's a little uneven with some sections slowing the pace down a little too much. This could all be a simple case of lost in translation, both in dialogue and framing, though not so much that it derails the movie, and the benefits of Bongs style and sensibility far outweighs these small grumbles.
In a rich ensemble Ed Harris and John Hurt offer their thesp skills in the occasional expository moments, and Tilda Swinton steals the show with her harsh Northern twang a severe and ironic statement on the roles society has us fill. Chris Evans is heroic and stoic, his driven hero the driving force of story and Snowpiercer society. Jamie Bell is excellent as ever and Octavia Spencer's powerful mother-figure holds her own in place and action. And then there's Song Hang-Ko, Korean cinematic royalty, the crazy drug-addled visionary who is a part of the revolution for one reason (other than his promised fix) - to get his teenage daughter to a better life. With such an eclectic mix and with each getting their various moments, the films focus on character is commendable and adds real depth to their various journeys and the weight to the bold narrative moves.
It really can't be stressed enough how much of a gem this movie is, beautifully and inventively shot, with enough smarts and out-there moments to fill multiple blockbusters. At times it can be infuriatingly slow, only because at others it is exhilaratingly mental, and despite its flaws it really should be commended. It is baffling as to how its distribution was so badly handled and its a crying shame so many people haven't had the chance to watch it. It feels like a massively missed opportunity, an opportunity many thousands of people would have loved to have had in a theatre setting, where it belongs. And ironically, maybe because of it's storied history - and thanks to the power of the internet - Snowpiercer may have actually been transformed from a missed opportunity into a bona fide cult legend.
After what it's been through, it's the least it deserves.
Thank you internet. And thank you us.
Director: Bong Joon-ho
Featuring: Chris Evans, Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer, Tilda Swinton, John Hurt, Ed Harris
Years in the future the human race survives a global devastative winter on a giant, constantly moving express train, which smashes through ice blocks with ultimate ease. A severe class system has been established with those in the rear of the train living in post-war-like poverty with no food and the front end elite controlling every aspect of their existence. Inspirer Chris Evans and aspirer Jamie Bell, sick of the established order, make plans to fight their way out of the back end grunge to the front carriages to fight for and find equality for their fellow carriage folk. And find some steak.
And after that two minute setup Snowpiercer throws you straight from the plotting and planning of the fightback and up to the break ins and breakthroughs of the daring ascent. With so much ground to cover - there are a lot of train carriages - there's no time for history and exposition, and Bong takes the wise decision to drop this information throughout the journey rather than in front of it. What follows is a brutal, uncompromising and action packed ride through the various wilds and wonders of people and places that are crammed into the speeding microcosm of human existence. The sheer imagination and scale of some of the carriage ordeals is breathtaking and often mind blowing, and Bong should really take a huge amount of credit for bringing his expert touch and the stylings of Korean cinema to create such a vision. Each section is a new experience, like a lethal lengthy Crystal Maze, with the carriage of armour clad axe wielders a particular highlight.
It's conceptually intriguing, the ideas and thematic context elevating it above other standard action movies. The human condition, the power of survival, class systems, the power of consequence, the morality of sacrifice. And axe fights. The only aspect that really suffers is the story, which at times gets bogged down in Matrix-like monologues and musings, and at other times feels (appropriately) simplistic. It's a natural transfer of Asian cinema tropes, and means at times it's a little uneven with some sections slowing the pace down a little too much. This could all be a simple case of lost in translation, both in dialogue and framing, though not so much that it derails the movie, and the benefits of Bongs style and sensibility far outweighs these small grumbles.
In a rich ensemble Ed Harris and John Hurt offer their thesp skills in the occasional expository moments, and Tilda Swinton steals the show with her harsh Northern twang a severe and ironic statement on the roles society has us fill. Chris Evans is heroic and stoic, his driven hero the driving force of story and Snowpiercer society. Jamie Bell is excellent as ever and Octavia Spencer's powerful mother-figure holds her own in place and action. And then there's Song Hang-Ko, Korean cinematic royalty, the crazy drug-addled visionary who is a part of the revolution for one reason (other than his promised fix) - to get his teenage daughter to a better life. With such an eclectic mix and with each getting their various moments, the films focus on character is commendable and adds real depth to their various journeys and the weight to the bold narrative moves.
It really can't be stressed enough how much of a gem this movie is, beautifully and inventively shot, with enough smarts and out-there moments to fill multiple blockbusters. At times it can be infuriatingly slow, only because at others it is exhilaratingly mental, and despite its flaws it really should be commended. It is baffling as to how its distribution was so badly handled and its a crying shame so many people haven't had the chance to watch it. It feels like a massively missed opportunity, an opportunity many thousands of people would have loved to have had in a theatre setting, where it belongs. And ironically, maybe because of it's storied history - and thanks to the power of the internet - Snowpiercer may have actually been transformed from a missed opportunity into a bona fide cult legend.
After what it's been through, it's the least it deserves.
Thank you internet. And thank you us.
--------------------------------------------
Director: Bong Joon-ho
Featuring: Chris Evans, Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer, Tilda Swinton, John Hurt, Ed Harris
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