One of the most successful Netflix series that is set on a dystopian future is the “Snowpiercer”.
Let’s find out more about the series!
- The plot is set seven years after the world has become a frozen wasteland. The remnants of humanity inhabit a perpetually-moving train that circles the globe, where class warfare, social injustice and the politics of survival play out.
- The train needs to be in constant motion, which happens due to its perpetual engine, as seen on the blueprints in the opening sequence called the “Eternal Engine”.
- If the train stops for more than 13 minutes, everyone would freeze to death.
- Several early reviews highlighted the unrealistic oversized interior of some of the cars, especially the “night car”.
- However exterior shots in several episodes show that some cars are bigger than others, presumably that especially applies to first class cars.
- TNT released a timeline for the Snowpiercer saga, citing that the series took place seven years following the extinction event.
- The movie takes place seventeen years post-extinction.
- This means that, despite the show being based on the movie, the events of the show predate the movie by ten years.
- The movie was directed by the Oscar awarded director, Bong Joon Ho.
- Based on the 1982 French graphic novel Le Transperceneige, later retitled Snowpiercer, written by Jacques Lob and illustrated by Jean-Marc Rochette.
- Was renewed for a second season a year before the first season even aired.
- The show was originally set to air in 2019, but was delayed to 2020 due to its move from TNT to TBS, a move that was later reversed.
- The original pilot, directed by Scott Derrickson and written by Josh Friedman, was never released.
- Only a few shots from it were used in the series.
- Thirteen of the actors in the original pilot continued on into the series, but several were recast as different characters.
- Every episode title is named with a line from that episode’s opening narrative.
- The train consists of 1001 cars with a total length of 10 miles (16 km). Assuming the majority of the cars are the same length (as indicated by the exterior shots of the train), most cars are around 15 metres long, which seems very short compared the standard length of around 25 metres in the US (as of 2020).
- However the 10 miles might just be an estimate by the tail passengers, and in the real world the general rule is that the faster the train, the shorter the cars.
- As seen on the Wilford Industries world map that is on display in the hospitality rooms and in the opening title sequence, the route of the train is around the coastlines of the majority of continents, excluding Greenland and Northern Europe (Great Britain and the Scandinavian countries).
- This implies that there is some kind of a connection between the continents, potentially the frozen oceans.
- The train consists of first, second and third class and the tail, and the engine at the front.
- Passengers in the tail had no tickets and entered the train by force upon departure.
- It is mentioned several times that 400 passengers are in the tail, and that they are allowed to stay in exchange for working.
- Third class passengers did not have to pay for their tickets, but have to work.
- First class passengers did pay for tickets, one mentioned to have paid 400 million.
- The engine is for engineers and Mr Wilford.
- As mentioned in several episodes, the outside temperature is around minus 120 degrees Celsius (-184 degrees Fahrenheit).
- The agriculture section is in third class, spanning around 150 carriages.
- The train’s departure point was Chicago, referred to as “mile zero”. O
- ne full circle (called “one revolution”) typically takes slightly less than six months.
- The crew make a “W” motion across their chests when they mention Wilford, similar to the way Christians will sometimes cross themselves.
- This relates to the novel Brave New World, in which the characters make a “T” motion across their chests – crossing themselves, but to invoke Henry T Ford, rather than Jesus.
- The similarity of the names and roles of Wilford and Henry Ford in these extended class metaphors are presumably not a coincidence.
- Andre Layton (Daveed Diggs), the protagonist, is usually referred to by his last name, while antagonist Melanie Cavill (Jennifer Connelly) is usually referred to by her first name.
- The engineering crew consists of only three members (four if you include Melanie).
- Publicly, guns were not allowed on the train. The brakemen, who function as police, and the jackboots, who function as a military are only armed with batons and some bladed weapons.
- However, some of the First Class passengers managed to have their personal security guards secretly bring guns on board.
- Sheila Vand and Daveed Diggs both had previously worked in Undone (Amazon Prime)
- The season one finale introduces a second train, called “Big Alice”, referred to as a “supply train”, with Mr. Wilford on board.
- The cars appear to be substantially bigger than Snowpiercer’s.
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