Review of The Way Back (2011) by Ryangee — 22 Jan 2011

If an epic comprises of too many repetitive details, it would be best to keep it short and to the point. These were the thoughts that went through my head when watching The Way Back. With that said, by no means is this film lackluster, the cast is strong and the plot fascinating; But it is a disappointment that this compeller of a story is only half of the epic that it is intended to be.

Academy Award nominated director Peter Weir returns from a seven year hiatus with the quasi film adaptation of The Long Walk, a proclaimed true story of six men who walked 4000 miles from Siberia to India. While the validity of this story still remains questionable, Weir uses solely the premise of this epic, substituting the characters with ones of his own creation. The beginning of the film we see the main protagonist Janusz (Jim Sturgess), a Polish prisoner of war who has been accused of sabotage and espionage towards the Communist Party. He is then sent to serve twenty years at a Siberian gulag. There he meets an American, Mr. Smith (Ed Harris) who insists that kindness can kill you here. Janusz and Mr. Smith, along with four other men including Russian criminal Valka (Colin Ferell), devise an escape plan to escape the gulag. Peter Weir is really brief in this portion of the movie with the escape being described in under half an hour. As a result, the characters are hastily developed, placing a subtle wall between the audience and the main figures. After the escape, Janusz leads the party through 4000 miles of different terrain with obstacles opposing their will to survive and attain freedom. They also encounter a young Polish girl, played by the rising star Saoirse Ronan (Atonement, The Lovely Bones), who joins the party in their venture for freedom.

While the premise is strong, the walk is long (yes, it rhymes). The film goes into an hour of directionless plot, while also maintaining a rinse, wash, repeat style of story telling. The plot direction is as follows: walk one terrain, face natural obstacle, look at a another daunting terrain. While the direction in which the story is told is ultimately weak, the cast and the cinematography surely make up for it. Even though the cast is not as emotionally involved with the audience as it should be, the performances are solid. Ferrel and Harris are multi-dimensional as there is a mystery within both of the characters. If any emotion is involved with the characters, it will be towards these two. Saoirse Ronan, who by the way I am a big fan of, plays a small role but provides the much needed pathos. The main protagonist played by Sturgess is somewhat of a bland character, but it is he who creates the most dramatic moment at the end of the film. Another strong point of the movie, as said, is Russel Boyd's cinematography. The Way Back is from National Geographic Entertainment (which also produced March of The Penguins), resulting in images that illustrates nature in an eye-pleasing and interesting manner. Overall The Way Back is a superbly well-made film. Even though it has it moments of monotony, the cast and fascinating plot contributes to an entertaining experience as well providing a small commentary on communism. It may not have the strong emotional connection seen in Weir's other films (The Truman Show, Master And Commander), but the cast's efforts make the film compelling enough for a watch.