Bryan, Gary and I watched a movie called ‘Snowpiercer’ on Saturday night. It is loosely based on a three-part French graphic novel Le Transperceneige by Jacques Lob, Benjamin Legrand and Jean-Marc Rochette, published in 1982. It became a cult sensation after being published. The story is set in the near future (2031) and tells of a dystopian world destroyed by a new ice age (due to atmospheric engineering by a coalition of nations that had gone awry). The last of humanity rushed onto a special train 1,001 cars long and are endlessly circling the globe. The tail section of the train is where the poorest people live in cramped conditions, and are kept there by force. In the first-class section in the front (of course!), the richest live in luxury. The film is not for the faint of heart, with its violent hand-to-hand fight scenes and bloodshed. These scenes are all precipitated by an uprising lead by Curtis (portrayed by Chris Evans) to get to the front of the train and seize control of the engine. But the movie certainly makes important commentaries about social injustice, class, privilege, power, limited resources, survival and the environment.
