Gangs of Snowpiercer

Thesis

When class divisions and ones cultural identity are pushed to the limit things can get violent, both Scorsese's Gangs of New York and Bong's Snowpiercer are prime examples of what happens when the lower class has motivation for change. When this motivation is sparked what is the outcome? Are they all screwed or is their hope for change?

Cultural Identity and Social Class

• Cultural Identity: "The definition of groups or individuals (by themselves or others) in terms of cultural or subcultural categories (including ethnicity, nationality, language, religion, and gender). In stereotyping, this is framed as terms of difference or otherness." (Oxford Reference) 
• The self-concept of a person who belongs to a particular cultural group. Also refers to our sense of belonging to a particular culture or ethnic group. (Among Us)
• Social Class: "A system for classifying the population according to social status." (Oxford Reference)
• In Gangs of New York social class may also be apparent, in that the natives see themselves in higher regard than the immigrants. They believe they own and are entitled to the land and no one else should be able to take that from them
• In Snowpiercer social class is the sole basis of the film. It is apparent from the beginning when the PSA says "everyone has their proper place." While it may not be apparent to a first time viewer at this point is does become apparent soon after the PSA.
• "Aboard the train is a microcosm of society"

"This is the Snowpiercer, one thousand and one carriages long, carrying the last of civilization through the endless wastes..."

Gangs of New York: The Butcher vs. The Immigrants

• Cultural Identity in Gangs of New York 
• In Gangs of New York cultural identity is apparent from the opening sequence, we have the (mainly) Irish immigrants beginning with "Priest" Vallon and his son Amsterdam. On the other side we have the natives led by Bill "the Butcher" Cutting.
• Amsterdam returns to Five Points and is told all of the gangs that still exist. He asks if his dad's gang "Dead Rabbits" is still around, and finds out that they've been outlawed and that name is to not be spoken.
• The Draft Riots of 1863 conclude the film describing the actions that happened via telegram with the main focus being that every African American person is being attacked and/or killed.

  

  'The Five Points in 1829' from Herbert Asbury's The Gangs of New York

Snowpiercer: The Back vs. The Front

• Social Class in Snowpiercer
• Mason's speech is when we first see the cruelty in which the back of the train is shown and why why want to overthrow or make it to the front of the train. The shoe analogy.
• Are social classes on the right track?
• The journey begins in which the back of the train begins the journey to the front of the train.
• The truth about protein blocks scene is a great representation of social class in that a man was moved from the back of the train to around the middle to make the protein blocks that the members of the back. The members of the back come to realize what they are eating, and the sight is not pretty. 
• Balance is explained, essentially why they are doing what they are doing, over fresh sushi.

  

  "Balance"

Differences and similarities between Gangs and Snow

• Differences
• The Time Abstraction
• Gangs of New York (Film) vs. The Gangs of New York (book)
• Berdichevsky; Scorsese's Gangs of New York: How the Left Misuses American History
• Are the past and future really that different?
• How relevant and real is this book?
• What does Scorsese say about the book?
• "The richness and the life of the underworld"(5:20)
• The worst slum in the World
• The book led to all his other books and Scorsese didn't know where to stop (7:20)
• Also based off Luc Sante's Low Life: Lures and Snares of Old New York
• "People trying to live together and testing democracy"
• The Endings
• A new world "Adam and Eve"
• Everyone Dies
• A new world "Friend or foe it don't make no difference now"



"The ashes from The Twin Towers were essentially still hot yet, Scorsese made them come alive again at the right time"

• Butcher and Priest buried together
• The Twin Towers
• The Soundtrack
• Similarities
• The back of the train and the immigrants
• Curtis and Amsterdam as leaders
• The front of the train and the natives
• Wilford and The Butcher
• Other Cars and Other Gangs
• The violence
• Social Class and Cultural Identity
• "How difficult it can be for different peoples to live together peacefully, without resentment or the desire for revenge"
• Similarities and Differences in Cinematography, Mise-En-Scene, Editing, and/or camera tricks

Conclusion

• What happens?
• Is there a larger concern?
• Does social class in film always have a left viewpoint?
• Does ones cultural identity really make a difference?

Scene Analysis

Scene Analysis

The Scene

This scene, entitled 'Now We Are Seven' takes place a little over 1/3rd of the way through the film and is a pivotal moment for the seven, and one character in particular. The seven return to the village and then the alarm is sounded, all of the villagers come to the center of the village waiting for the seven to come help them. When it is asked "who sounded the alarm" Chico arises from the bell tower and exclaims "I did!" He then comes down from the bell tower and sarcastically thanks them and ultimately calls them "chickens." Chico accuses them of hiding from them when they are around instead of welcoming them and having conversations with them like civilized people. After he is finished with his accusations he then yells at them to go back into hiding until the seven tell them when and how to fight. Chico's actions then lead Chris to say "Now we're seven" and Chico is finally fully welcomed.

In response to Greg's scene analysis for Seven Samurai, I decided to compare it to the same scene in The Magnificent Seven (1960). In Greg's discussion he talked about the class difference was very apparent throughout the film, but very much so in this scene. I did not feel that the class difference was as apparent in this film. The leaders of the village spoke more freely with the seven and while the seven were there to protect them it never really felt like they had the impression of "we're better than you." However, in Greg's analysis he said that the Samurai were on visual higher ground and that was a representation of the class difference. In this scene the seven were scattered, some were on horseback, some were standing on solid ground. Chico goes from the top of the tower to solid ground, to standing on a what looks like an old fountain. 

Chico was the only one in this scene I felt like was showing the difference in class, and I do not believe it to shove it in their faces; but to establish his dominance, that he was one of them, and that they are to be respected.

Mise-En-Scene

Setting

The setting is in the village that "the seven" are in charge of protecting.

Lighting

It seems as if the lighting is mainly ambient or natural lighting.

Costume(s)

The seven are in their traditional cowboy clothing that they have worn throughout the film. The villagers, once appeared, are in their straw hats, white garments, and ponchos.

Acting

The main character in this scene is Chico (Horst Buchholz, Life is Beautiful) and he is using non-method acting. He is doing so by overacting to portray how ridiculous the actions of the farmers are. He is also using it for simple comedic effect between him and the other six.

Cinematography 

The Camera Lens

This scene is shot using the concept of deep focus, in that the foreground (the villagers and at some points, the seven) , middle ground (Chico) , and background (the setting and/or bell tower) all remain in focus.

Scale

A medium long shot is used in this scene, in that what is being viewed takes up the entire height of the screen. 

Editing

As I mentioned before the director, John Sturges (The Great Escape) uses a medium long shot for the majority of the scene however, close up reaction shots are thrown in to show how the other six are taking to Chico's actions.

My favorite part of the scene is right before we cut back to Chris (Yul Brynner; The Ten Commandments, Westworld) we see Chico look back over his shoulder with a "did you see that" look on his face. This look also implies that he is hoping this will finally be enough for their seal of approval. Chris then says "now we are seven" thus giving his approval.

Annotated Bibliography

Annotated Bibliography

What am I writing about?

I will be comparing the similarities and differences of cultural identity in Gangs of New York and Snowpiercer.

The Gangs of New York: An Informal History of the Underworld

This book was written by Herbert Asbury and was originally published in 1927. This book is the basis from what Scorsese created Gangs of New York. This book will serve as the basis of my comparisons and to find where Scorsese's characters and story came from. 

Snowpiercer Vol : 1 The Escape ( Le Transperceneige)

This is the French graphic novel that the film Snowpiercer is based off of. I plan to use this graphic novel to understand the workings of the social classes better. Also,  there are 1,001 cars in the graphic novel, and it will help to portray what each car's difference and identity really is.

Stylish 'Snowpiercer' takes a cold look at class division

Scott Bowles and Claudia Puig's review of Snowpiercer gives an in depth look at the class divisions and identities aboard the train. It is best described as "a microcosm of society." They dive into the fact of the poor versus the rich and this helps to start the similarities and differences between the two films.

Are Social Classes on the Right Track? : A Review of "Snowpiercer" (2013)

A review by Curtis Parvin continues the topic of social classes portrayed in Snowpiercer, but are they justified? Parvin seems to find this film to be very controversial and makes his arguments as to why. The controversy he describes has quite a few similarities to the controversies in Gangs of New York, and that is what I plan to expand upon.

Gangs and Citizens: A Review of Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York

A incredibly in depth review by Sean Mattie shortly after the film came out and began receiving critical acclaim. The line that stood out the most in regards to my research is "Gangs of New York vividly shows how difficult it can be for different people to live together peacefully, without resentment or the desire for revenge." Thinking to Chris Evans character, Curtis in Snowpiercer, this could be explaining him perfectly as well and that is one reason these two films are a perfect pair for comparison.

Scorsese's Gangs of New York: How the Left Misuses American History

This review by Norman Berdichevsky takes the unpopular route of bashing Gangs of New York. However, it is incredibly detailed and insightful into each class and culture used in the film and his views of history and where Hollywood in general and not only Scorsese get it wrong. This is extremely important when discussing social class and cultural identity, and will be beneficial in comparing my two films.

Bibliography

Prospectus

Prospectus

Films

For my Comparative Research Paper I will be comparing Martin Scorcese's Gangs of New York and Joon-Ho Bong's Snowpiercer.

Gangs of New York

Gangs of New York is based off real events that happened in the mid 1800's in New York's Five Points. Following the lives of Bill the Butcher (Daniel Day Lewis; There Will Be Blood) and Amsterdam Vallon (Leonardo DiCaprio; Titanic) at the beginning of the American Civil War. Bill an American native and Amsterdam an Irish Catholic have many different identities that the other is not aware of, culminating in the New York Draft Riots of 1863.

Snowpiercer

Snowpiercer is a political sci-fi film apparently based on a real idea. The Snowpiercer is a train that circumnavigates the Earth in exactly one year. The numbers of cars is not mentioned in the film, but  an extremely large amount of cars is presented at certain points in the film with each one containing different social classes and personas. These social classes are each different, but each bring something to life on the Snowpiercer.

Cultural Identity

These movies both deal with cultural identity in many different ways, from social classes in Snowpiercer in every single train car to the nationalities, like the Irish Catholics, in Gangs of New York. The differences and similarities in these identities are what I plan to break down and discuss in my paper.

Timeline

My timeline will be as follows

Machete Review

Grit, gore, sex, and...immigration. What more could you want from a Robert Rodriquez film? Rodriquez ( Sin City; Once Upon A Time In Mexico) brings to life a feature length film from a simple trailer made for a Grindhouse double feature between him and Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction; Kill Bill) Machete. Machete brings us a cheesy campy film with the underlying issue of immigration and something that while comical really sparks thoughts in the heads of viewers. Machete (Danny Trejo: Heat) is a day laborer hired to kill a backwards senator set to build a wall on the Mexico/USA border. Sound familiar? When the shot is about to go down our title character realizes he's been set up and has to begin the run/fight of his life. Through twists, turns, porn, and many decapitations Machete must fight for what is right along with his immigrant partners. This ensemble cast including Robert De Niro (Taxi Driver; Deer Hunter), Jessica Alba (Sin City; Fantastic Four), Steven Seagal (Under Siege), and many others bring everything you could possibly want out of this Mexploitation film and while maybe not for the queasy, makes for a quite enjoyable B movie. Mexploitation films bring about the exploitation of Mexican culture such as crime, drug trafficking, money, and sex. This film covers all of those within the first ten minutes and continues to intensify throughout the film. Cheesy, campy, B movies hardly ever grab my attention, but after seeing Grindhouse in theaters the trailer for Machete definitely intrigued me. Watching Machete for the first time in theaters I was there with an open mind and left entertained, but with a serious thought about immigration in my mind. Sometimes we need that simple underlying tone on a serious topic to bring out the truth, and I believe Rodriquez did his job perfectly in bringing this issue to light. I encourage viewers to go in with an open mind and look for the underlying issues Rodriquez put into this incredible film.

God Grew Tired of Us Review

Do you remember when you were five? Were you around family? Did you have a roof over your head? Did you know where your next meal was going to come from? If you lived in Sudan in 1987 the answer to most of these questions was probably no. In 2001 rookie directors Tommy Walker and Christopher Dillon Quinn took on the story of The Lost Boys of Sudan. The Lost Boys of Sudan were forced out of their home country due to Civil War. They lost their families and did not know if they'd ever see them again. They marched over 1,000 miles over five years eventually landing in Ethiopia and establishing a new life with the ones who survived the trip. 3,600 of The Lost Boys were assisted in coming to America to start a new life. This documentary, God  Grew Tired of Us, follows three of The Lost Boys and their journey from leaving Ethiopia to years in the future in America. This film is a Naturalist Documentary and one that features many talking heads with the three Lost Boys, including some heartbreaking interviews including one in which the title of the film comes from. My expectations going into the film may have been high after learning of it from it's wins at Sundance. As always I try and go in with an open mind and no preconceived expectations, but had I went in with those high expectations they still would have been blown away. The cinematography was simple and that is what I believe was needed for this film. These rookie documentarians blew it out of the water and definitely deserved the praise this film received. Go watch this film, learn about The Lost Boys, and what you can do to help!

Avatar Screening Report

Avatar Screening Report

A New Home

Jake Sully, a paraplegic marine, is put on an expedition and discovers that a world that is not his own may be more of a home than he could have imagined.

Fantasy Warfare

Avatar is an action, fantasy, drama, war movie. This film follows these genre conventions through pretty simple means. Action and war comes from the basic plot of the movie that a marine is supposed to be extracting a material that is highly profitable and there is a whole race trying to defend it.  Drama comes from the inner story lines of Jake and the Na'vi versus Jake and the Marines. Fantasy is all too obvious that the world of Pandora was conceived and composed by James Cameron.

Transnationalism

This film broke records that many people thought would never be broken. Even with inflation this is the second highest grossing film of all time, behind Gone With The Wind. This film definitely fits into the discussion of a Transnational film with it's international gross of $1.17 billion. This is also the highest grossing film internationally of all time.

Exceptional?

I do not feel like this section even needs to be written, but yes this film was exceptional. In each of the above headings there are reasons that this film was exceptional, but I think that the most impressive is the records that it broke, is continuing to break, and will break in the future with multiple more Avatar films to come. There are many great comparisons when it comes to the almighty dollar when it comes to Gone With The Wind and Avatar, but this article puts it into words better than I can.