It all began when Korean director Bong Joon Ho, then a student at Hongik University, picked up a French graphic novel "Le Transperceneige." Once he started reading the novel, he could not stop until he reached the end. He was so entranced by its vision that he knew he had to make the novel into a film.
It took ten years for him to realize that dream. But it was a good thing he never lost sight of that dream. Not quite three weeks after the release of "Snowpiercer," the film has already sold over eight million tickets. In fact, the film passed six million in ticket sales between Saturday night and Sunday morning.
Released in 167 countries, the rapid-fire success of the English language film and its stellar cast is attracting attention in such international papers as Variety, The Wall Street Journal and the Hollywood Reporter.
Bong managed to assemble an impressive international cast of stars for his science fiction fantasy. "Snowpiercer" features Korean actors Song Kang Ho, who will also appear in "The Face Reader," and child actress Go Ah Sung. Both actors starred in Bong's earlier film, "The Host," a film that blends horror and political commentary.
The Hollywood stars include Chris Evans, who starred in "Captain America," Ed Harris of "The Truman Show," John Hurt of "Harry Potter," Jamie Bell of "Billy Elliott," and Tilda Swinton, who appeared in "Moonrise Kingdom" and "The Chronicles of Narnia."
What fascinated Bong was not just the novel's sci-fi fantasy imagery but the universal problems it portrayed.
The film is set in the future when everything is frozen except for one perpetually moving train full of survivors. The new Ice Age was caused by a failed attempt to remedy global warming. But such disaster has not heightened compassion for those less fortunate. In the frozen future, the world's survivors are segregated on the train. The poor survivors who live at the rear of the train are starving, while the rich live in luxury.
"It's a universal issue facing all of mankind, the endless conflict between the haves and the have nots," said Bong at a recent film screening. "No matter what country you live in, it's a matter that concerns us all."
In the film, the have nots are ready to revolt.
"Every place humans exist even on this train, with the world's last survivors, there will always be class distinctions," said Bong.
.
