Reconstruction of Social Structure: Wagons Between Death and Life: An Evaluation of the Film “Snowpiercer”

Abstract

Class distinction has been an ongoing phenomenon throughout human history and has become particularly evident with industrialization. Marx's Theory of Classes explains how modes of production give rise to class distinction. For this reason, this study examines Marx's concept of class distinction and how the social effects of class distinction and the roles of ruler and ruled are reflected in cinema. By analyzing the film "Snowpiercer" directed by South Korean director Bong Joon-ho, the impact of cinema on the social structure and its semantic structures are discussed. In the study, Marx's Theory of Classes and Greimas' Actantial Model were employed to analyze the film. "Snowpiercer" deals with class distinction as a fundamental theme. The film focuses on the impact of class distinctions on society, and the roles of ruler and ruled within class distinction. The semiotic analysis of the film is based on Greimas' Actantial Model. This analysis aims to reveal the semantic structures of the movie and presents the findings.