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I truly enjoyed watching the film Snowpiercer with its
intricate plot and one’s ability to look at the movie from many different
perspectives. I was particularly drawn to the purpose of “Kronol” in the film. Apparently
a highly addictive drug, “Kronol” was something that was enjoyed by BOTH the lower and upper class
passengers on the train. What is the purpose of “Kronol”? At first I thought it
was just a futuristic drug they decided to put in the movie. But then I realized
it was so much more…
We encounter the drug when Curtis buys some off a dealer at
the back of the train. We don’t know exactly what it is yet, but there’s a
feeling that it isn’t anything good. Next, after they free Namgoong and his
daughter from their captivity, the “Kronol” is used as a currency to bargain
with them to open the locked doors in between cars. In this post-apocalyptic
world where people have nothing and actual money is useless, it is interesting
to see what they use for currency instead.
Towards the end of the movie, we see Namgoong and his
daughter frantically stealing and collecting “Kronol” from the other passengers
on the train. It seems like their addiction has gotten out of control. But
instead of falling victim to the drug again, Namgoong sticks them all together and
one is able to realize that he has a different plan in mind. By derailing the train, they
are able to liberate themselves from the social hierarchy that controls them. Looking back, “Kronol”
becomes crucial to the plot as it is a driving force that allows key events in
the movie to take place.
