At this year's Oscars, Bong Joon-ho is undoubtedly the biggest winner.
He won four awards for "Parasite," creating a historic moment in Korean cinema.
In fact, this is not the first time Feng Junhao has made history——
Seven years ago, his film "Snowpiercer" broke many records.
"Snowpiercer" spent more than 40 billion won (about 260 million yuan), maintaining the record for the largest investment in South Korea so far.
Over 600,000 people watched the movie on the first day, setting the highest first-day box office record for Korean films (which was later broken by "Ming Liang Sea Battle").
With the success of the movie "Snowpiercer", the production of the series of the same name has also been put on the agenda.
Just two days ago, it finally came, which many fans have been looking forward to-
Snowpiercer Season 1
Directors: James Harveys, Sam Miller, Helen Sheafe, Fred Toyer Writers: Graeme Manson, Iram Martinez, Benjamin Legrand, Jacques Le Starring: Jennifer Connelly/ David Diggs/ Alison Wright Release date: 2020-05-17 (US)
Episodes: 10 Length: 60 minutes
Since 2016, news of the production of this drama has been reported one after another.
At last year's San Diego Comic-Con, the drama version of "Snowpiercer" finally revealed its first poster, which attracted countless attention for a while.
It was confirmed that it had been renewed for a second season before its broadcast this month.
Such high popularity and strong confidence come from its strong lineup——
James Harveys , who directed episodes such as "Purple Talk" and "Black Mirror" , served as the director of the show.
Bong Joon-ho , the director of the film version of "Snowpiercer", served as the producer of the show and participated in the adaptation of the series.
Not only the creative lineup is strong, but the actors are also worth mentioning.
Jennifer Connelly , who played the heroine , became an instant hit in "Once Upon a Time in America" at the age of 12, and later won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress for "A Beautiful Mind".
At nearly fifty years old, she is still quite charming.
David Diggs , who plays the male lead, is a former singer and is known to audiences for his roles in films such as "Blindspot" and "Wonder Boy."
"Snowpiercer" reached the No. 1 spot with 3.3 million viewers on TNT's first day of broadcast, and broke the 18-year record of "The Alienist".
The story in the play still revolves around the structure of the original work:
Due to global warming, glaciers are melting and the climate is harsh.
Scientists have launched a refrigerant into the atmosphere to cool the planet.
Unexpectedly, it directly froze the earth.
Under the plummeting temperature, the world was completely covered with ice and snow, and all living things were dying.
Meanwhile, a man named Wilford created a special train.
There are a total of 1001 carriages on the train, the temperature inside the train is suitable, and all living facilities are readily available.
The most amazing thing is that it is pulled by a perpetual motion machine, orbiting around the earth, and it completes a circle in exactly one year.
In other words, the train is like Noah's Ark at the end of the world.
The rich and powerful boarded the Snowpiercer one after another, but the poor at the bottom of society were dissatisfied.
They started a riot, and some people managed to squeeze into the back of the train before it left.
However, things are far from over, as there is a strict class division on the train:
The closer the person is to the front of the car, the higher the level and the better the treatment and service they enjoy.
On the contrary, the poor at the back of the car are living the worst of life and are oppressed.
In order to express resistance and fight for rights and interests, a premeditated revolution is brewing, and the story of the drama version also unfolds.
The hero , Leighton , is one of the "Tail Men" and the main leader of the revolution.
He had an extraordinary mind and developed detailed plans and strategies for initiating a riot.
Unexpectedly, an accident happened before the revolution began-
The manager of the train entered the rear of the train and forcibly took Leiden away.
It turned out that a murder occurred in the third-class compartment of the train.
The killer killed, dismembered and removed a man's genitals and hid his body in a train tunnel.
Two years ago, the same case happened in the third-class carriage.
Management at the time caught a suspect and sealed her body in a drawer as a punishment.
The recurrence of this case shows that the suspect was not the real murderer, and the murderer is still at large.
Leighton is the only homicide detective on the train. He has rich experience in criminal investigation and naturally becomes the management's best hope to solve the case.
On the other hand, the people at the back of the car fell into a lot of contradictions because of Leighton's departure.
An elderly man named Ivan committed suicide on his birthday, further intensifying the conflict.
The day after Ivan's death, the men at the back of the car launched an attack on the front of the car.
After a fierce fight, the people at the back of the car suffered heavy casualties, but only one car was attacked.
After being subdued by the management of the train, all the people at the back of the train face the fate of being punished.
Layton came forward to stop the punishment, on the condition that he would help solve the case, and the story of the first episode ended here.
So far, the drama version of "Snowpiercer" has only aired one episode.
As a comic-adapted drama, it does not reflect too many innovations and breakthroughs at the story level, and basically follows the original settings.
As a science fiction theme, there is no surprise beyond the movie version in terms of visual effects and action.
These are the reasons why the show has received a mediocre response and even been criticized.
But objectively speaking, the duration of an episode is limited, and it is impossible to present all the important content.
At least in the tens of minutes of the first episode, the structure of the entire plot and the introduction of several main lines have been completed.
Especially in the presentation of details and the foreshadowing, it can be said to be very attentive.
There are three details worth mentioning in particular -
The first detail is the level difference that is highlighted.
As a dystopian work, Snowpiercer reflects the gap between the rich and the poor and class antagonism, which is its consistent theme
The drama version makes a sharp and direct comparison in terms of clothing, food, housing, education, supporting facilities and other aspects.
There is a plot that can be said to be the finishing touch:
She was in her uniform until managers went to the back of the car to find Layton.
This hints at her identity: in the high-class carriage, she is just an ordinary service staff.
But when she got to the back of the car, she changed into a gorgeous plush coat.
When talking to the person at the back of the car, she also stepped on the stool, which was significantly higher.
Whether it is the change of clothes or the contrast of positions, it highlights the theme of class opposition in the play.
The second detail is the general contradiction on the train.
There is no doubt that there is a natural antagonistic relationship between people in different carriages.
However, even people in the same carriage will have differences and contradictions——
People in the back of the car would quarrel over disagreements about the way of revolution.
The people at the front of the car were at odds because of the different living habits in the sauna.
Such a comprehensive presentation of contradictions is not only a satire of reality, but also an important foreshadowing for the subsequent plot.
The third detail is about the concept of "balance theory".
This is a concept that has appeared in the movie version, and it is also mentioned in the play.
When Leiden passed a dazzling vegetable and fruit carriage, he sighed sincerely:
So much food that you are reluctant to share
And Melanie, the train manager, replied:
You might think these are rich
it's not true
Everything on the train is interconnected
its status is commensurate with its value
Everything here depends on his balance
This theory emphasizes: each class of people has its own place.
Only by not crossing boundaries and maintaining the status quo can the entire system remain in balance.
In the play, "balance theory" is the official rhetoric of the high-ranking management to maintain order and stability in the car.
Outside of the series, its satire is also evident, echoing the theme of the original political satire.
After the broadcast of the first episode, the overall structure and main line of the episode have been basically spread out.
But in many details, it still leaves suspense for the audience.
For example, who is the murderer in the third-class compartment? Does the wronged person have a special identity? How will Leyton lead the riots again?
And, the biggest suspense left at the end of the first episode:
Will Melanie be the biggest boss Wilford?
These unsolved mysteries are left to be revealed one by one in later episodes.
*The author of this article: Zhang Bucai
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