Snowpiercer shows mankind at its cruelest

If you can avert your eyes from the scenes of men axing off arms, forgive the strong foul language, and keep an open mind while watching a dystopian society unravel, the R-rated, post-apocalyptic Snowpiercer, now out on DVD, offers a scintillating look at mankind at its cruelest.

It’s 2031 and a failed experiment to end global warming freezes the earth beyond repair. The lucky few who survive ride an eternally moving train that circles the earth at breakneck speed but is sadly bound for nowhere in particular. Curtis (Chris Evans), a member of the lowest class of passengers, masterminds a violent scheme to slingshot him and a pack of his comrades past the guards for an eventual face-to-face with the train’s mysterious engineer, Wilford (Ed Harris).

When the group of vigilantes finally get past what appear to be hundreds of ax-wielding thugs placed specifically to cut them down, they see what has been withheld from everyone squatting in coach, and learn their train world is not what it seems. That revelation rockets this movie past other mostly brain-dead thrillers about the end of the world. It leads us to think about the world we live in, our role in it, and raises questions: Are we autonomous? What is our station in society?

Depictions of first class passengers wining and dining during the coach class revolt bring up issues of elites versus peons. Battle-hardened viewers with strong stomachs and penchants for dark philosophical thoughts might find this movie interesting. Others should avoid it.