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The Way Back poster

CAST
JIM STURGESS
DRAGOS BUCUR
COLIN FARRELL
ED HARRIS
ALEXANDRU POTOCEAN
SAOIRSE RONAN
GUSTAF SKARSGARD
MARK STRONG
SEBASTIAN URZENDOWSKY

BASED ON THE NOVEL “THE LONG WALK: THE TRUE STORY OF A TREK TO FREEDOM” BY
SLAVOMIR RAWICZ

SCREENPLAY BY
KEITH R. CLARKE
PETER WEIR

PRODUCED BY
DUNCAN HENDERSON
JONI LEVIN
NIGEL SINCLAIR
PETER WEIR

DIRECTED BY
PETER WEIR

GENRE
ADVENTURE
DRAMA
WAR

RATES
AUS: M
UK: 12A
USA: PG-13

RUNNING TIME
133 MIN

 

THE WAY BACK (2011)

An epic tale of mind, body, and spirit, The Way Back looks at the other side of WWII atrocities, and marks the return of master filmmaker Peter Weir.

While the plight of the Jewish people at the hands of the Nazi’s has been documented with forced regularity by filmmakers, the crimes of Stalin and the communist machine upon other ethnic/religious peoples have been curiously sparse.

The Way Back will hopefully change that. It is based upon the supposed true story of Slavomir Rawicz, who in his bestselling memoir “The Long Walk” described his escape from a Siberian gulag and the treacherous trek that followed through Russia, Mongolia, China, Tibet and finally India.

Regardless of the shoddy accuracy (an encounter with The Abominable Snowman is also described), Australian director Peter Weir has created a vital and relevant film about faith and survival in opposition of manmade and environmental forces, epic in scope and refreshingly vintage in its adventure elements.

True to form, the movie begins in a Siberian gulag, inhabited by supposed “enemies of communism” and Russian criminals, all living in deplorable conditions.

Among them is Janusz (Jim Sturgess), a Polish man jailed for alleged treason. As soon as he is in, all he sets his mind on is getting out, with several other prisoners in tow, including American engineer Mr. Smith (Ed Harris) and Valka (Colin Farrell), a Russian criminal and certifiable madman who can kill at the swig of a Vodka bottle. Orphaned street rat Irena (Saoirse Ronan) joins them later.

Together they embark on the great walk, a vast and daunting journey expertly sold by Weir and his terrific ensemble of actors, who portray the most subtle moments with restrained yet powerful emotion. The slightest gesture of kindness is heartbreaking, a single drop of water thirst quenching, and the chilling winds and merciless sun are crippling, with great make up effects giving a visual testament to the fragility of flesh and blood whilst in mother nature’s grasp.

Also featured is the vast reach and excessive cruelty of the communist cause. One scene features our fearless prisoners stumbling upon the remains of a Buddhist temple, now littered with the skulls of monks who once prayed there. One of the escapees, a Catholic priest (Gustaf Skarsgard, son of Stellan), describes how the same level of persecution also came upon his church and the parishioners, a moment in history often forgotten and filmmaker and viewer alike.

Yet Peter Weir did not forget, and with his considerable skill as visual and storytelling filmmaker, The Way Back not only becomes a relevant movie, but an awe inspiring one as well.

****
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