Social injustices exist in the darkest of times, even at the end of the world.
Snowpiercer, the story of the perpetually moving train that circles the frozen globe carrying the remnants of humanity, has been seen twice before. The first time was in Jacques Lob, Benjamin Legrand, and Jean-Marc Rochette’s 1980s graphic novel Le Transperceneige, which formed the basis of Bong Joon-ho’s 2013 dystopian film Snowpiercer starring Chris Evans. Now it’s been adapted again in the TV series Snowpiercer, with another story that highlights the inherent prejudices in a society at the end of its days.
Snowpiercer occurs seven years after scientists attempt to reverse global warming by freezing the atmosphere, accidentally causing a new ice age. In the aftermath, the wealthy secure spots on a luxurious 1001-carriage-long train designed by the eccentric Mr Wilford. However, a desperate and chaotic raid sees a handful of stowaways board the train.
The constant locomotion of Snowpiercer generates energy, providing those on board with warmth and electricity and sheltering them from the freezing apocalypse outside. But inside, a new kind of dystopia awaits.
Snowpiercer’s commentary on class is not subtle; the societal structure aboard the train is split literally into classes. First class includes those who invested in the train, second class houses those who paid for a ticket, and third class contains the workers. The stowaways are ushered to the train's tail, a lowly group that doesn’t even earn a class designation.
All the passengers on Snowpiercer need to do is “survive, survive, the engine will provide,” but that’s easier said than done in a place like the Tail.
The “Tailies” form a close-knit family-like community, who band together to live off the meagre rations those at the front opt to allocate to them. The tail is a rough place to ride out the apocalypse. It bears none of the upper classes' luxury furnishings or fine foods. In the tail, transgressions are dealt with by exposing an offender’s limb outside to the deep freeze. Meanwhile, the First Class passengers nitpick over Scandinavian versus American bathing etiquette and lament over brief periods without electricity.
Nevertheless, the Tailies feed on daily dreams of revolution, hoping to one day forge forward through the train and claim a life that is more than survival. For the most part, the passengers of Snowpiercer do their best to forget about the Tailies, except, of course, when it serves them.
Andre Layton (Daveed Diggs) and Melanie Cavill (Jennifer Connelly). Credit: Tomorrow Studios / CJ Entertainment
The opening of the series sees Snowpiercer’s Head of Hospitality, Melanie Cavill (Jennifer Connelly - also at SBS On Demand in Blood Diamond and other films), call on Andre Layton (Hamilton star Daveed Diggs), an integral member of the Tailies' upcoming revolution, from the back of the train for a job. Layton was a homicide detective before the world froze over, and now, a series of unsolved murders on Snowpiercer have led to his appointment as Train Detective.
With no choice in this situation, Layton uses his new role as an opportunity to spy on the other classes and bring much-needed information back to the Tail. But traitors, like Layton’s ex-wife Zarah (Sheila Vand), who abandon the tail for the upper classes, are not taken kindly to in the tail. With Zarah now back in his life and the offer of an upper-class life on the table, Layton has to decide which community he truly wants to be a part of.
Meanwhile, Melanie is not only dealing with grisly matters like murders, but as Head of Hospitality, she is also in charge of managing relations on the train, which involves balancing the allocation of electricity and dealing with the complaints of the upper class when it’s not to their satisfaction. That would be easy enough, if it weren’t for a secret Melanie is hiding from the people on Snowpiercer, which could derail the entire community.
Living conditions are sharply divided on board the Snowpiercer. Credit: David Bukach / Turner Entertainment
The expansion of Snowpiercer into a TV show allows it to expand upon the intricacies of this dystopian society and explore corners of the locomotive’s 1001 carriages that were never possible in previous iterations. As the seasons continue, the class divides only get fiercer, and Snowpiercer’s passengers threaten to destroy what’s left of their society with their darker human impulses.
“Eat the Rich” narratives are a popular topic in Hollywood nowadays. The success of The White Lotus, Saltburn and Triangle of Sadness (available at SBS On Demand) proves that we love seeing how the other half live, even if it's only through a screen. The only thing we love more is seeing them fall.
Bong Joon-ho has been a defining voice in this space. His original Snowpiercer explored social inequality in a futuristic time, while his Oscar-winner Parasite took this satirical approach and infused it with a tragic reality. The director also serves as an executive producer on Snowpiercer’s TV adaptation, and his influence is clear. While Snowpiercer strays away from the comedic tone of Bong’s work, it remains a sharp examination of class injustice and offers a darker lens on the “Eat the Rich” tale.
All four seasons of Snowpiercer are streaming at SBS On Demand. Snowpiercer is also airing Thursday nights on SBS.
Stream free On Demand
Snowpiercer
series • action
MA15+
series • action
MA15+
The 2013 film is also at SBS On Demand until 19 August.
Stream free On Demand
Snowpiercer
