 A still from the movie  | Critic's Rating: ***1/2 Cast: Jim Sturgess, Colin Farrell, Ed Harris, Saoirse Ronan Direction: Peter Weir Genre: Drama Duration: 2 hours 13 minutes Readers Rating: **** |
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Serious war adventure
Story: The film is based on a novel ``The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom'' written by Slavomir Rawiez. It traces the gruelling journey of a bunch of war prisoners who try to flee from a Siberian gulag to escape the wrath of Stalinism.
Film: Early on in the film, Stalin's soldiers tell the prisoners they are in a unique prison which has no walls, no barbed wires, no boundaries.... Simply because they are not needed, because Nature is the wary sentinel in this extreme environment. No fugitive would be able to survive the harsh Siberian winter, believe the guards. It takes almost two and a half hours to prove them wrong as some of our brave hearts not only manage a successful prison break, they even survive the brutality of nature which keeps mutating its monstrous forms: from the extreme Siberian winter to the arid, impenetrable waste of the Gobi desert followed by the dangerous trek over the Himalayas.
The year-long journey is truly a test of human endurance, as only the fittest survive till the bitter end. And fittest, in Peter Weir's vision doesn't necessarily mean the physically strong and hardy. Instead, it has more to do with moral and emotional vigour in a trek that ends up testing the soul more than the body. When survival is at stake, anybody can live on uneatable stuff like snakes, slugs, caterpillars and maybe cannibalism too. But how many will hang on to humanity and high values?
The film lives through the sentiments that Weir showcases. The odd assortment of individuals stick to each other, fend for each other and stand up for each other till the very end. Of course Nature does claim its victims and just three of them manage to cross the Himalayas and reach India. But the journey essentially remains a testament of togetherness, team spirit and valour.
Weir's film is gripping, despite being long and plodding in places. The film has been shot in locations in Bulgaria, Morocco and India and recreates the treacherous terrain with great detail. Of course India strikes a cheerful note as the friendly Indian officials and locals literally welcome the escaped convicts with open arms, officialdom be damned. No passports, no worry, smiles the portly Indian officer and sends them into the village with a flourish. Indian hospitality goes global, huh!
Weir's films may not be mainstream, but they have a flavour that suitably engages the serious film buff. The Way Back is a gripping watch.
Story: The film is based on a novel ``The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom'' written by Slavomir Rawiez. It traces the gruelling journey of a bunch of war prisoners who try to flee from a Siberian gulag to escape the wrath of Stalinism.
Film: Early on in the film, Stalin's soldiers tell the prisoners they are in a unique prison which has no walls, no barbed wires, no boundaries.... Simply because they are not needed, because Nature is the wary sentinel in this extreme environment. No fugitive would be able to survive the harsh Siberian winter, believe the guards. It takes almost two and a half hours to prove them wrong as some of our brave hearts not only manage a successful prison break, they even survive the brutality of nature which keeps mutating its monstrous forms: from the extreme Siberian winter to the arid, impenetrable waste of the Gobi desert followed by the dangerous trek over the Himalayas.
The year-long journey is truly a test of human endurance, as only the fittest survive till the bitter end. And fittest, in Peter Weir's vision doesn't necessarily mean the physically strong and hardy. Instead, it has more to do with moral and emotional vigour in a trek that ends up testing the soul more than the body. When survival is at stake, anybody can live on uneatable stuff like snakes, slugs, caterpillars and maybe cannibalism too. But how many will hang on to humanity and high values?
The film lives through the sentiments that Weir showcases. The odd assortment of individuals stick to each other, fend for each other and stand up for each other till the very end. Of course Nature does claim its victims and just three of them manage to cross the Himalayas and reach India. But the journey essentially remains a testament of togetherness, team spirit and valour.
Weir's film is gripping, despite being long and plodding in places. The film has been shot in locations in Bulgaria, Morocco and India and recreates the treacherous terrain with great detail. Of course India strikes a cheerful note as the friendly Indian officials and locals literally welcome the escaped convicts with open arms, officialdom be damned. No passports, no worry, smiles the portly Indian officer and sends them into the village with a flourish. Indian hospitality goes global, huh!
Weir's films may not be mainstream, but they have a flavour that suitably engages the serious film buff. The Way Back is a gripping watch.
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