Survival in new reality
Valentina Valentini
One-thousand-and-one cars long . . . It’s the line repeated at the beginning of each episode of Netflix’s latest dystopian drama, Snowpiercer, based on the Bong Joon-ho cult classic film from 2013, itself based on the 1982 graphic novel series, Le Transperceneige.
Though the phrase hails from a made-up world in which Earth has frozen over and only 3000 humans survive aboard a train that circumnavigates the globe in perpetuity, there is much about Snowpiercer that is relatable at the moment – not least of which being confined to a finite amount of space.
Graeme Manson, who was the showrunner on Orphan Black for its five-season run, was brought in as head conductor for Snowpiercer after its executives and creatives parted ways following the original pilot.
This version of the TV show, which has already secured its second season, has been called a continuation of sorts from
Bong’s film, though a more apt description might be a reimagining of it.
While the conceit is the same – the world has frozen because of climate change, most of its population has died, and a few people of varying socioeconomic backgrounds have made it onto the only vessel built for survival – the biggest change is in the story’s two lead characters, neither of whom was in the movie: Melanie Cavill, played by Jennifer Connelly, and Andre Layton, played by Daveed Diggs. And where Bong’s work was about a fight to the front with steerage overtaking first class, a TV show needed more to sustain itself over several episodes.
At the beginning of the series, both characters are at opposite ends of the survival spectrum, literally and figuratively; they believe their truth is the ultimate and worth fighting (or killing) for. As head of hospitality and the right hand of Mr Wilford – the train’s engineer and supreme leader, a godlike figure whom no-one is allowed to see – Cavill represents the conservatives.
However, by the end of the first episode, we find out she probably has much more to offer as she switches out her crisp teal-blue suit set for MIT sweats and sneakers and takes a seat in the engine room.
‘‘She’s someone who is really complicated,’’ says Connelly, the Oscar-winning actress whose last turn at TV was 20 years ago with The Street.
‘‘She’s challenging at times; she’s surprising. Ultimately, I think she’s not who we think she is when we first meet her, [and] at a certain point, I think she realises she’s not the person that
The confinement and loss experienced in the new Snowpiercer series eerily reflects what the world is going through now. reports.
she always thought she was either.’’
Layton, who lives in the ‘‘tail’’ with those who couldn’t afford a ticket onto Snowpiercer and forced their way in, was a homicide detective before the world froze over. This is what eventually gets him up-train, as Cavill summons him to help solve a second-class murder. Diggs, of Tony- and Grammywinning Hamilton fame, connected with Layton’s moral code, idea of justice and demands for equality. But the Broadway actor is not impervious to the ways in which, on the show and in real life, the dissemination or withholding of information can change our perception of reality.
As ‘‘you actually start to understand the system you’re trying to work around or within or against, it’s a lot more difficult to be as idealistic. Those are interesting conversations that are relevant [to today],’’ Diggs says. ‘‘And if a work of fiction can encourage that kind of thinking or discussion in our regular lives, maybe in the bestcase scenario, [it] helps us figure out how to understand the methods of people who seemingly have totally different ideological beliefs.’’
While the Snowpiercer film kept audiences enthralled with its non-stop action, the
10-episode series enabled
Manson to draw out the character development with a sizeable ensemble cast, including Mickey Sumner, Lena Hall and Alison Wright, as they aim to tackle the big questions of right and wrong that plague humanity – even (or especially) when there are only a few thousand left. Connelly says that scenario resonates with the current state of the world, though hell hasn’t frozen over quite yet.
‘‘To what extent do we sacrifice now for the long-term good of things and survival of everyone?’’ she asks.
The show’s messaging is eerily reminiscent of real life, especially as it pertains to climate change – a topic of concern that has been eclipsed by the coronavirus pandemic. But the show’s confinement and loss are what Connelly feels ring most true right now.
‘‘In the show versus the film, we’re set closer to the moment of departure,’’ she says. ‘‘The loss, the transition is that much newer. So, everyone on the train is dealing with the communities [and] the people that they left behind, the places on Earth that they long to go see that they miss, the lives that they had that are gone.’’
Diggs says Snowpiercer is a way to examine class and the effect of capitalism on the environment – aspects of life that have always been present – but that now may take on more significance through the cultural lens with which audiences will be viewing it.
‘‘I agree with Jen,’’ he adds. ‘‘The sense of loss is particularly palpable. There’s a sort of loneliness that is persistent throughout the train and a longing for a world that [was].’’
Indeed, it is difficult to remember the world that was, including the one where, only three months ago, Bong won Oscars for best director, best picture and best original screenplay for Parasite ,a
Korean independent film that made its way gingerly to the top. Bong didn’t direct any Snowpiercer episodes, but was an executive producer and participated at times, says Connelly.
Asked whether they’re feeling the pressure of being in a project that is associated with Bong and takes its cues from a cult classic, both actors take it in their stride.
Diggs says he knows fans can feel betrayed when a story they’ve cherished doesn’t match their expectations. But ultimately, he doesn’t feel that’s his responsibility. He and his fellow actors’ jobs are to portray their characters to the best of their abilities and to tell a story, no matter the background noise.
The Snowpiercer series is ‘‘not supposed to replace’’ the movie, Connelly adds, ‘‘it’s just supposed to be an exploration of the material in a different format’’.
And while the cast and crew couldn’t have known their show would be premiering in a world where being trapped inside is the norm and the gulf between the haves and have-nots is starkly visible, its parallels, like any good sci-fi story, can haunt our dreams. – The Washington Post
Snowpiercer is now streaming on Netflix.