Environmental problems concern society, and this issue is reflected in various ideas, such as science fiction books or films. The movie Snowpiercer, directed by Bong Joon-ho, represents the world of the future, where, in an attempt to stop global warming, humanity has frozen the planet. The last people were forced to hide on the train, which non-stop traveled around the world – a circle in a year. Even though the film is fiction, some of its ideas make one think about modern society.
The film makes one look critically at the gap between rich and poor. According to the plot, people on the train are distributed into classes – in the first, comfortable cars, rich people are located, and in the later ones – the poor population is gathered. The comfort of the first group is achieved by depriving the last cars. In this way, the plot reflects how prosperous countries and corporations in the modern world use the labor of developing, poorer countries.
The film also contains ideas of sustainability that could be useful to society. In particular, the train is served autonomously; for example, glaciers are melted by the engine, and as a result, water flows through all cars. Moreover, the sustainability ideas are reflected in support of the aquatic ecosystem – the number of fish is controlled for an ideal balance so that the system does not die. Such an idea should manifest itself in a respectful attitude towards nature and a decrease in consumerism in the real world.
The film makes a strong impression – many stories and moments are surprising, often in unpleasant ways. The disclosure of the idea of the train’s founder to maintain a certain number of people there, to which the film’s entire plot led, is most dramatic. Although I do not find the film’s story realistic, its ideas still represent the truth. The plot makes one think about human nature, the importance of preserving the planet, and other critical issues.
Work Cited
Snowpiercer. Directed by Bong Joon-ho, The Weinstein Company, 2013.