“So long as the system exists as it is, those who seek to change it are doomed to become chewed up by it.” … the only way to change ……“is exploding the order as it exists and embarking upon something new entirely, even if that something new leads to certain death.”
vThis review based on the movie Snowpiercer was written by Emily VanDerWerff, who claimed that preexisting order must be destroyed in order to establish a new one. VanDerWerff supports this view by linking Bong Joon-ho’s use of rhetorical strategies in the last scene which “blatantly evoke Adam and Eve”. Toward the last quarter of the movie when Curtis reached Wilford’s compartment, there was a moment of hesitation when he(Curtis) was offered the supreme role but abandoned the temptation when he realized sacred engine relied on Child labor to properly function. In VanDerWerff’s view, it was from this point that Curtis realizes the goal of the revolution which led him to destroy the current system by blowing up the train, sacrificing the death of hundreds to initiate a new system.
I found this view inspiring since I had different interpretations when watching the film. As oppose to VanDerWerff’s view, I believed that Bong intended for the audience to see that revolution can be disruptive and led to the eventual death of the entire human race. Based on the assumption that the children survived from the explosion became targets of the polar bear, we can thus deduce that this revolution has not only caused fatal destruction but has also shattered the future of humanity. Assuming that all of the above is true, the director’s intentions are clear. The continuation of human civilization is dependent on a certain class model, some sort of social class, and order must exist in a community to maintain balance.
However, since the movie was left with an open ending, both interpretations are not absolute. Perhaps the goal of the revolution is to exchange one generation’s sacrifice, for the next generation’s dignified life, or perhaps war and revolution simply result in different patterns of power distribution, while problems of poverty and class stratification continue.
It’s often great to read reviews on movies from different critics as they can usually give insight to new perspectives that you might not have noticed on first viewing. And to add on, both VanDerWerff’s and your perspectives are completely opposite; where VanDerWerff shows optimism in believing for a bright future for the residents of the train, you show a lack of faith for the continuation of humanity. Of course, though, these things tend to happen when the ending is purposefully directed to be up for interpretation.