KJCKorea
Journal Central

The film <Snowpiercer> deals with the general issues like the class discrimination or national system rather than the social issues of Korea. In the last part of the movie, the director suggests a mythological future in contrast with the reality. This is where <Snowpiercer> is different from his previous works. Therefore, the film is worth further detailed analysis on the mythological imagination and an ideal world system. The three mythological elements represented in <Snowpiercer> are, 1) Cycle and Repetition, 2) Death and Rebirth 3) Co-existence of humans and animals. Cycle and Repetition are portrayed in the image of circular track of train set against the start and the end of ice age. The circular track of the train is similar to the motif of ring in Northern European mythology. Death and Rebirth can be explained in Ragnarok. The whole world is doomed as scheduled but not completely. Yonah and Timmy are the symbols of the new beginning. The Co-existence of humans and animals are the characteristic of primitive myth. The film aims at the equal co-existence of a human being and a bear. All these elements are interrelated in Moebius strip. So far, the films by director, Junho Bong, have been discussed focusing on his view of social issues and political value, and how his films have reflected such reality. It is necessary to put his film <Snowpiercer> in a new perspective with a new interpretation which is based on mythological analysis. Further studies on his films <Mother> or <Monster> may lead to a general understanding of the director’s mythological imagination and his view of the world.

Snowpiercer, Circulation, Ring motif, End, Rebirth, Ragnarok, primitive myth