"Snow Steam Iron (2017)" is a short film by Zack Snyder that depicts a violent and gritty story of revenge and survival in a seedy New York City. The film follows Lin Woo (Samantha Win), a woman who is forced into prostitution by a ruthless mafia boss (Jen Kuo Sung), and who decides to fight back against her oppressors with the help of a gun and a meat cleaver. The film is shot entirely on an iPhone, and features stunning visuals, intense action, and a haunting score by Tom Holkenborg (aka Junkie XL).
In this review, I will analyze the film's strengths and weaknesses, and give my overall impression of it.
The film's main strength lies in its visual style. The cinematography by Zack Snyder is impressive and innovative, using various techniques such as slow motion, close-ups, and color filters to create a striking and immersive atmosphere. The film has a distinctive aesthetic that sets it apart from other crime films, and showcases Snyder's talent as a filmmaker. The editing by David Brenner is also effective and seamless, creating a fast-paced and coherent narrative that keeps the audience engaged. The sound design by Scott Hecker and Chuck Michael is also superb, using both diegetic and non-diegetic sounds to enhance the mood and tension of the film. The music by Tom Holkenborg is also fitting and powerful, using a mix of orchestral and electronic elements to create a dark and dramatic score.
The film's main weakness lies in its narrative substance. The story by Zack Snyder is very simplistic and predictable, following a basic revenge formula that offers no surprises or twists. The film lacks depth and originality, relying on familiar tropes of the crime genre without adding anything new or meaningful. The dialogue by Zack Snyder is also minimal and generic, consisting mostly of grunts, screams, and threats that do not reveal anything about the characters or their situations. The characters by Zack Snyder are also flat and one-dimensional, with no backstory or personality beyond their appearance and function. The violence by Zack Snyder is also excessive and unnecessary, showing graphic scenes of bloodshed and gore that do not serve any purpose other than shock value.
In conclusion, "Snow Steam Iron (2017)" is a film that showcases Zack Snyder's skills as a filmmaker, but also exposes his limitations as a storyteller. The film is a visually stunning but narratively hollow experience that does not offer anything new or profound to the audience. The film is an ambitious attempt to create a cinematic masterpiece with minimal resources but a superficial one that lacks substance and originality.
In this review, I will analyze the film's strengths and weaknesses, and give my overall impression of it.
The film's main strength lies in its visual style. The cinematography by Zack Snyder is impressive and innovative, using various techniques such as slow motion, close-ups, and color filters to create a striking and immersive atmosphere. The film has a distinctive aesthetic that sets it apart from other crime films, and showcases Snyder's talent as a filmmaker. The editing by David Brenner is also effective and seamless, creating a fast-paced and coherent narrative that keeps the audience engaged. The sound design by Scott Hecker and Chuck Michael is also superb, using both diegetic and non-diegetic sounds to enhance the mood and tension of the film. The music by Tom Holkenborg is also fitting and powerful, using a mix of orchestral and electronic elements to create a dark and dramatic score.
The film's main weakness lies in its narrative substance. The story by Zack Snyder is very simplistic and predictable, following a basic revenge formula that offers no surprises or twists. The film lacks depth and originality, relying on familiar tropes of the crime genre without adding anything new or meaningful. The dialogue by Zack Snyder is also minimal and generic, consisting mostly of grunts, screams, and threats that do not reveal anything about the characters or their situations. The characters by Zack Snyder are also flat and one-dimensional, with no backstory or personality beyond their appearance and function. The violence by Zack Snyder is also excessive and unnecessary, showing graphic scenes of bloodshed and gore that do not serve any purpose other than shock value.
In conclusion, "Snow Steam Iron (2017)" is a film that showcases Zack Snyder's skills as a filmmaker, but also exposes his limitations as a storyteller. The film is a visually stunning but narratively hollow experience that does not offer anything new or profound to the audience. The film is an ambitious attempt to create a cinematic masterpiece with minimal resources but a superficial one that lacks substance and originality.