What The Ending Of Snowpiercer Really Means
Director Bong Joon-Ho's 2013 movie Snowpiercer told the story of the last remaining humans on Earth. It talked about rebellion, class issues and hope — but the movie's ending might need a little bit of explanation. Before we go ahead, it goes without saying, but there will be spoilers for the movie. So be warned.
The movie makes it a point to show the inequality in society. People living further back in the train are struggling to survive while those in the front live in the lap of luxury. In the movie's climax, we see Curtis Everett, played by Chris Evans, making his way to the front of the train in rebellion. When he finally meets the train's leader, Wilford, he finds out the rebellion was staged to reduce the train's population. But a fight ensues and the train is blown up. In the end, we see two kids, Yona and Timmy emerge from the wreckage of the train. In the distance, they see a polar bear.
That ending can be either positive or pessimistic. It really depends on the person.
The film's director told Vulture that he sees the end as a happy one. "They have no memory of what it's like to be on the Earth. For them to procreate, it's going to take a little time. So, for me, it's a very hopeful ending," he said. Bong continues that he believes life is returning to Earth, that it is no longer just a frozen wasteland where life cannot survive.
Or maybe they don't survive
Bong believes the two kids will eventually repopulate the planet and notes that he probably would have shown more survivors, if he had the means to film it. But some people will see it differently. According to The Cinemaholic, the two children were born on the train, they have no concept of surviving in the outside world. It's cold and worst of all, they've just encountered a deadly animal. In other words, they're dead meat.
Vulture also pointed out the original graphic novel Snowpiercer was based on is not optimistic at all. The end of the first graphic novel saw the protagonist take control of the train's engine but he finds out that everyone else died of a virus.
So basically, how you interpret the end of Snowpiercer largely depends on your personality. If you're a glass is half-full person, the two kids who survived the train wreck are finally free of the class system that's imprisoned them their whole lives and will now begin to repopulate the renewed Earth. Or if you're more of the "world is ending any minute now" guy, then the two kids left a terrible situation for an even more terrible one and will probably be polar bear fodder in 10 minutes. So have fun discussing the movie's ending (or watch the new TV show) and figure out if your friends are optimists or pessimists. It's a fun party game.