Review of The Way Back (2010) by Kevin G — 06 Jun 2011

Peter Weir doesn't make movies that often, but when he does, he delivers. And he delivers another winner here in "The Way Back." The plot of film revolves around a Russian soldier named Janusz (Jim Sturgess) who gets betrayed by his wife after she is tortured. He gets accused of being a spy for the enemy and is sent to a Soviet work camp in Siberia.

Immediately after arriving there, he meets others in Mr. Smith (Ed Harris) and Valka (Colin Farrell) who want to escape this camp. They do get away and the long journey home ensues. They encounter many troubles and tight sports along the way. They run into a young girl named Irena who may not be who she says she is.

This is a very simple journey film, but it is effective. The characters do feel real, but this film lacks some of the emotional impact of his previous efforts such as Master and Commander and Dead Poets Society. That being said, these are not two dimensional characters. We learn more and more about some characters such as Mr. Smith and Valka that bring more depth and meaning to their action. All of these characters have a reason for being there and reason why they end up the way they do at the end.

The film does drag a little bit towards the end. It is almost like they had a problem coming to a conclusion because after building all of these character arcs, the film just comes to an anti-climactic stop. While it is a good ending for the most part, it does feel a bit empty. But that is just nitpicking. "The Way Back" does require patience to watch. It does take its time getting to the climax, but yet there is not one shot that lingers here. It is has a lot of ground to cover and it is nice to see a film that does take the time to show the journey rather than resorting to cheap thrills. However those viewers with short attention spans should stay away .For those of us who have patience this is a very good movie to watch.

All of the performances are good here and there are no weak links to speak of. Colin Ferrall is particularly impressive as Valka, someone who seems like a ruthless criminal at first and then you find out that he is really just institutionalized by years behind bars. Jim Sturgess gives another fine performance as does Ed Harris.

The most impressive part of the film is the cinematography. It is shot gorgeously and the landscape is just beautiful. It gives the film and epic sort of scope with plenty of wide shots to show off the vast and varied landscapes these people travel on.

Overall I would say those that enjoy films like Werner Herzog's "Rescue Dawn" should check this out. Also if you are a fan of Peter Weir's work then you should pick this up. It is a solid entry to his resume and fans will be pleased. The one thing I love about Weir is that he does he tells stories and takes the time to finish them.