Snowpiercer
The film Snowpiercer (2013) is a post-apocalyptic narrative with a fascinating reflection on the place of religion in society. The film was written and directed by Bong Joon-Ho, based on the main premise of a French bande-dessinné (graphic novel), Le transperceneige, by Jacques Lob and Jean-Marc Rochette (2002). The film, which differs substantially from the novel, takes place nearly two decades after the world has frozen over with the resultant extinction of all forms of life, including humanity. Not all of humanity has died, however; a train, the Snowpiercer, houses over one thousand people. The train travels at high speed on a relentless route around the global, with one circumnavigation every year.
Mr Bong, a renowned Korean filmmaker, is best known for his elegant monster film, The Host (2006). Snowpiercer was a huge hit in Korea and other overseas markets, but has been given only limited release in North American theatres starting in July 2014 (it is playing now at the Carlton Cinema, check for show times). It is also available on most video-on-demand services (such as itunes and amazon.com). It is recommended to all students in RLG 233h1f (2014).
Trigger warning: the film itself is quite violent, but this is part of the narrative of revolution at its core.
The decision by the film distributors, Radius-TWC (The Weinstein Company), to attempt to recut the original film and offer only limited theatrical release has been quite controversial, especially given Mr Bong’s international reputation. In spite of the muted release, the film is receiving very positive reviews and has attained something of a cult status. Sales on VOD sites have been healthy.
Critics such as A. O. Scott of the New York Times have been lyrical in their praise of the film. Scott notes “its grimly satirical look at the workings of power and privilege in a totalitarian corporate future.” Peter Phase (of the Jacobin blog) offers a brilliant analysis of the film’s revolutionary and political aspirations. Only a few have noted the role that religion plays in this story.
In the film’s trailer, you get a sense of the narrative, with its emphasis on the hierarchical organization of an imperiled trainload of people in a blasted post-apocalyptic landscape. You will note too the revolutionary spirit of those people confined to the lowest order of society. Indeed, much of the film is concerned with the latest in a series of revolutionary movements. Most important in the trailer, as in the film, is the use of religion to contain and control this fragile social structure.
How does religion function in this film? If we think about the functional definition of religion (providing social cohesion, meaning-making, and an encounter with transcendence), then we see how religion is employed on the Snowpiercer. First, we note that the narrative begins after an apocalyptic event created by humanity (the freezing of the environment in a misguided effort to slow climate change). The use of apocalyptic narratives in contemporary film is an excellent way to introduce religious ideas. This phenomenon is examined by Conrad Ostwalt in his book Secular Steeples. In particular, the film shows how religion is utilized in the post-apocalyptic context to impose order.
In the case of Snowpiercer, a sacred order flows from the existence of a train with perpetual power that is a post-modern Noah’s Ark in the frozen world. The spatialization of the social order is simple: the privileged exist in the front of the train, while the oppressed are kept in abjection in the end of the train. In between these two absolute classes stands an army. But military is not the only power at work. The social order is a sacred order, the train is a sacred place, and the engineer, Mr Wilford, who made the train is divine. The importance of maintaining the social order is repeated throughout the film, even (sadly) by those who are oppressed by that same order.
The “creation story” of the train is taught to children who know of no world outside the train. The founding myth is the story of Mr Wilford’s life and dreams of a train that travels the world. Once ridiculed for his efforts to build such a train, he is now hailed as saviour of humanity. The myth of Wilford (rarely seen) provides meaning for the society trapped in the train. Children learn the story, sing songs about Wilford, and they inculcate a sense of the sacredness of the social order. No one in the front questions their fate to be among the comfortable, privileged few. In order to maintain their sense of the sacred hierarchy, the people of the rear are believed to be like animals (and they are forced to live like animals). Windows on the harsh landscape provide those in the front with a constant sense of existential threat should the social order (or the Train itself) ever break down.
The power of the story of Wilford and the Sacred Engine is compelling enough to maintain both the privileged and the underclass. Occasional uprisings serve only to reduce the surplus population in the overcrowded rear car. When we finally meet Wilford he describes the necessity of balance and harmony to keep the train habitable—of course, it is the underclass that must bear the brunt of occasional cullings.
The Sacred Engine is presented as an eternal source of power and motion. Soon we discover the limitations of perpetual motion: the parts wear out and slaves are necessary to keep the machine working. Thus, the sacred order becomes an economic order. The myth of the Sacred Engine blinds most everyone to the price some pay to keep it running smoothly. As with the dysfunctions of many religions, it is women and children who bear the worst treatment. When, at last, we meet Wilford, we find that he is very much human, imprisoned on the train like everyone else. However, he is content to maintain his status as high priest to the Sacred Engine. This is, as he puts it, his destiny, according to a preordained social order.
In an interview with iO9, Mr Bong discusses his intentions for the film. His focus is on the class struggle, and different forms of revolution. A central feature of the political narrative is whether it is better to fight to seize control of a society that oppresses you or to leave that society all together. These are political questions, but they are deeply rooted in the meaning structures that religions create and uphold.
Trigger Warning
Snowpiercer contains scenes with extreme violence and human degradation. While these elements are integral to the narrative (hence not gratuitous), they may be disturbing to some viewers.
