The Way Back (I) (2010) User Reviews

Epic Survival Tale

[nyshrink · 8/10 · 23 January 2011]

This is a film for people who appreciate epic landscapes and survivor stories. It has some engaging characters but not brilliant dialogue or complicated characters. Mostly, it is a visual film, displaying the vulnerability of a few people in a harsh, vast, beautiful landscape. They must depend on each other, and they develop an intimacy based on their shared struggle rather than on deep conversations and emotional revelations, or at least, not until a young girl joins them. Weir seems to be commenting on the yin yang of masculinity/femininity at times in this film. I also liked the subtle underlying commentary on the brutal oppression of the Soviet regime under Stalin.

All of the actors were good; Farrell adds a touch of humor, Sturgess portrays anguish well, and Harris is a good tough old guy--his usual persona. By the way, Manohla Dargis in The New York Times complains that Farrell is too good-looking to be a Russian gangster. What this assessment is based on I can't imagine; doubt Dargis hangs with Russian gangsters.

An epic, exquisitely shot and harrowing adventure about survival and the pursuit of freedom

[dvc5159 · 7/10 · 22 January 2011]

So the book has been proved false. Does this mean that the "true story" isn't true after all? There have been many claims by others that it is fact instead of fiction. Whatever - it doesn't matter, Peter Weir's "The Way Back", this movie about that book, which tells the tale of gulag escapees and their harrowing journey to freedom, is a well-told and inspiring tale than anything else.

All of the actors are terrific in their roles - Jim Sturgess as the de- facto leader of the bunch, showing a more improved and mature side to his acting since "21"; Ed Harris as the gruff American Smith, who is hard-edged and iron-willed until he eventually befriends...; Saiorse Ronan as Irene, the runaway girl who joins them on their quest - Ronan here shows a perfect balance of various emotions while not overdoing it like many child stars her age... she definitely is one of the best young actresses today; Colin Farrell as the violent yet humorous soldier who protects the team from danger in Siberia and provides comic relief when needed - Farrell shows that he can be tough yet likable at the same time without being completely overblown and shows his versatility as an actor; European actors Dragos Bucur, Alexandru Potocean, Sebastian Urzendowsky and Gustaf Skarsgård round off the remaining escapees and they all acted great in their respective and differing roles. The chemistry between all of the actors at parts are great.

Having said that, the film's only flaw is that it sacrificed substantial characterization for realism and visual spectacles. The characters are thinly but not overly so fleshed out, and the interactions between them are short before the next walking shot. But when it comes to realism and believability the film succeeds. I was surprised when I saw National Geographic was one of the co-producers of the film, but I wasn't as soon as I saw how realistic the depictions of survival the characters did in the film. Men will do anything to escape to freedom, and the determination and spirit to survive in a harsh and unforgiving natural world, is what Weir and his script is trying to say, but the walking parts are written in masterful detail that any line of dialog may ruin it, so silence is sometimes golden in these parts. The screenplay also challenges the usual Hollywood clichés that usually are found in this film genre, and it transforms them into better, more realistic and sometimes unsettling situations.

Production-wise, the film is a triumph. The production design is great and makes extremely well use of real locations. The cinematography by Russell Boyd is dazzling, simply marvelous, it is wide, sweeping and epic, with lush scenery of forests, deserts and the snow-peaked Himalayas exquisitely shot throughout. The wide cinematography makes the experience even more harrowing thanks to Lee Smith's fluid and crisp editing and Burkhard Dallwitz's great music score and terrific music timing - Dallwitz and Weir know when and how music/sound can be used in a scene, and that sometimes, silence is crucial to certain moments. Here, Weir uses that silence to terrific and very intense effect, and with his extremely focused direction, manages to being out a very exhilarating and at the same time excruciating (in a good way) experience. So much so that I forgot about the controversy surrounding the "true story" and found myself hugely engrossed in the movie, not wanting it to end.

In short, the film lightly suffers from lack of proper characterization, but is heavy on almost everything else - acting, directing, cinematography, production value and music. If it had proper characterization, it would have been an instant classic and a contender for the Best Picture Oscar. Still, as it stands, "The Way Back" is still an epic adventure; an inspiring, sometimes funny, and often intense and harrowing experience that also proves that Peter Weir is still an ambitious tour-de-force filmmaker.

Overall rating: 77/100

A beautiful but very long walk

[Philby-3 · 8/10 · 1 March 2011]

The story of a small group of people escaping from a Siberian Soviet prison, part of the "Gulag" in wartime and walking 4000 miles to freedom looked a trifle grim in the trailer, but Peter Weir has managed to produce a rather beautiful film out of it, using Bulgaria and Morocco as locales rather than Siberia and the Gobi desert. Only Darjeeling in India plays itself. My only trouble with it is the rather uneven character development. The story lends itself to ensemble playing but we learn little about two or three of the walkers. In the case of the lead character Janusz (Jim Sturgess) who is the source of the story this is explicable as we are seeing the others though his eyes, but it has to be said that both "Mr Smith" (the excellent Ed Harris) and the Girl (Saiorse Ronan) leave a lasting impression.

I know there is some doubt as to the authenticity of the story, taken from a 1955 book by Slavimir Rawicz a former Polish army officer, and indeed what the group are supposed to have done looks impossible but that's not a problem, because the relationships ring true. It is remarkable how an almost random collection of individuals, including one with a very unsavoury past, can, driven by sheer necessity, wind up functioning as a team. Partly this is due to the leader actually having some navigational knowledge and therefore inspiring confidence in the others. Mr Smith remarks early on that the Janusz has a serious weakness; he is kind, but when the chips are down we see that even the hard-bitten Mr Smith is capable of compassion.

Strangely enough, after the initial scenes in the prison camp, and the escape, there is not a lot of drama. The group encounter very few people on their travels and those they do meet take little interest in them (perhaps they had not heard about the bounty for escapees). Obtaining food and water is obviously a big issue, so mind out for the messy hunting scenes. I was astounded at how well their footwear stood up to the punishment; my hiking boots are not good for 400 miles let alone 4000. Actually they must have wandered around a bit - the northern end of Lake Baikal and Lhasa in Tibet are about 1800 miles apart, though the prison camp was somewhere north of the lake. It's also not clear how long the walk took, but at times it seemed like years. Weir's great achievement is to keep us watching a very drawn out tale. Personally I think I would have died of boredom if I had been in this particular walk, if starvation hadn't got me first.

What an incredible story

[juneebuggy · 7/10 · 26 January 2015]

I mean these men escaped a Russian gulag and WALKED 4,000 miles from Siberia to India, come on...

So this movie is based on the 1959 memoir "The Long Walk" (of which there is some debate over its validity). Regardless I really enjoyed it, the story is incredible and I'd been looking foreword to seeing what they would do in the movie version. Throw in a top notch cast as our Siberian gulag escapees (Colin Farrell, Ed Harris, Jim Sturgess) and this should have been fantastic. All I can say there is maybe my expectations were too high because honestly I came away a little disappointed, actually preferring the book.

The movie itself was very long and kind of jumped around. Granted they had a lot of material to cover as our men escape under cover of a snowstorm and undertake a treacherous journey across thousands of miles of hostile terrain. They face freezing nights, lack of food and water, injuries, mosquitoes, an endless desert, the Himalayas, and moral questions of when to leave someone behind.

The cinematography is beautiful, the scenery breathtaking and everyone does a great job. Ed Harris is excellent as the American Mr. Smith (love him) and Colin Ferrell (love him a bit more) was awesome as a tattooed gang-style prisoner, with an amazing Russian accent. As a point of interest his character is not in the book. The scenes in the blizzard and the Gobi desert stand out to me and are brutal but well done. 08.11

I will never complain about going on a walk ever again!

[sparsons-7 · 10/10 · 2 January 2011]

I went with my friends to see this the other day - we picked whatever film was on soonest at the cinema. The Way Back was on...and we went in. I had no idea what the film was about only that I'd heard that "People walk out of Russia".

This film really had you captivated for the entire journey - and you really connect with the characters within it, so much so you experience their emotions with them - you laugh with them, you are on the verge of tears at moments, and you feel their determination.

The acting was great - there were some familiar faces in the likes of Jim Sturgess (21) and Ed Harris (everything else)...and they do very well in their roles. Colin Farrell finds himself taking a respectable role in a respectable film - and does a very good job at it - and even manages to work a Russian accent, which he pulls off - and he pulls it off well. Surprisingly well, actually! Saoirse Ronan, at 15/16, is incredible in this. Given her youth, she manages to draw in the audience with her character's history and gravitas. The other actors within this, despite them being relatively unknown on the Hollywood stage, join the cast well, and the chemistry is there to make the journey and the true stamina of the group believable.

The cinematography was immense, with shots overlooking parts of Russia, Mongolia, Tibet, and India - just helps you realise the vastness of the journey. Most of the journey is filmed looking closely at the characters, but this is what is crucial to the audience enjoying the story. You can't have 2hrs and 13 mins of beautiful scenery and see the intimate struggles with each of the characters...therefore the director does well to mix the two. The audience can see just what the struggles and difficulties are...but are treated to some amazing shots of the scenery, which make you realise how incredible this journey was. (I even got a map out later and routed the journey they took)

I should expect that this film would receive some Oscar nominations, maybe for cinematography, director, perhaps even best picture, but I would love to see Jim Sturgess having a nomination for his role.

love this movie highly recommend.

[0U · 23 February 2020]

I think it's always difficult to portray hardship and endurance in films purely because you only experience it for a couple of hours or so. This had me understanding the terrible conditions for real....i think. The search for water in the Gobi desert had me thinking twice about attempting the same thing as a holiday. Make up was fantastic and the bleakness of the scenery was soo beautiful

When Irish actors go all Polski

[ecstatic-tickle · 7/10 · 2 January 2011]

Peter Weir's first film in seven years is another exercise in sturdy direction with strong social themes running through it - recalling many of his previous works in style and content. It follows a group of escaped prisoners from a Siberian gulag in 1940 as they brave the treacherous wilderness of Asia for freedom from the Soviet regime. It's tough viewing for the most part but there is a surprising amount of comic relief along the way, provided chiefly by Colin Farrell's salty character. The group scavenge for food, even fighting off wolves for the carcass of an animal at one point - but the constant bickering and relentless doom and gloom does begin to wear. The film picks up however once Saoirse Ronan enters the picture and her youthful feminine presence brings an interesting dynamic. Emoting with a flawless Polish accent (almost like a mini-Streep) her character is one of the more compelling and layered and gives this emerging young actress a chance to display her skills. The cinematography is serviceable but hardly spectacular - capturing a harsh, arid landscape as opposed to Malick-like celebration of nature.

As the film wears on, the struggle to survive intensifies, particular when they reach the Ghobi desert - the scenes are very well done but viewing becomes quite grueling. Harris bring a certain integrity to his role in a rather unshowy performance with not much character introspection (I can see why his Oscar buzz has disappeared). In fact character development across the board is quite lacking, and watching the plot unfold, with the knowledge of the outcome of the story already provided in the opening titles - the narrative becomes quite arbitrary and the story doesn't always sustain interest. The final leg of the journey through the Himalayas almost seems rushed compared to the bloated second act. Still, it's a very well-made film with good acting and visuals - just don't expect to be inspired.

Superb

[kropacek-933-872346 · 10/10 · 2 January 2011]

This was a long film but I was unaware of the length because I was so thoroughly engrossed. The scenery and the photography were simply spell binding but more than that, this was a story about the indomitable spirit of people faced with desperate odds told with sensitivity and at times, humour. Others have commented on the quality of the acting, the accuracy of the story and the cinema-photography; I want to comment on a different aspect of the film. We hear and see a great deal about the crimes of the Nazis during this period but very little about the crimes of the Soviet system. This film is not a "dull metaphor" of the Cold War as one reviewer has said If this films sparks a little enquiry amongst its audiences it will have done a great service to the memory of Poles and other eastern Europeans who suffered the double tragedy of Nazi and then Communist occupation. When Nazism was defeated in 1945, half of Europe was just beginning a sentence in Communist bondage that was to last another thirty five years. This aspect of the story is all the more effective because it is told through the eyes of a small group of people and at a personal level. At the end of this film, the entire audience sat still for about fifteen seconds. There was not the usual end of film scrum. People just needed a moment to absorb what they had sen. This was the best film of the year!

Impossible, Incredible, Freedom

[jonnyhavey · 9/10 · 2 February 2011]

Six-time Academy Award nominated director Peter Weir ("Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World", "The Truman Show") directed and wrote the adaptive screenplay for "The Way Back" based on the book "The Long Walk: A True Story of a Trek to Freedom" by Slawomir Rawicz, a Polish POW from the Soviet Gulag where the story begins, and on real life accounts of the journey. The film unluckily missed a very well deserved 2010 Oscar birth telling the tale about an unthinkable journey of kinship created between a diverse group of Soviet Gulag escapees. Their journey covers 4,000 miles from Siberia to freedom in India giving meaning to the word incredible. The cinematography is used most majestically by capturing panoramas of the strikingly dangerous yet breathtakingly beautiful landscapes. The splendor of the film goes beyond the wilderness with the selection of a very accurate and diverse cast starring Jim Sturgess ("21"), Ed Harris ("The Rock"), Colin Farrel ("In Bruges"), Saoirse Ronan ("The Lovely Bones"), and Mark Strong ("Sherlock Holmes"). Together they recreate the peril and wonder of the impossible journey on foot that started with the idea of a man named Khabrov (Strong) to break out of the Godforsaken Soviet Gulag in Siberia. A Polish man named Janusz, driven by the fire to get back to his wife, puts the idea into action. An older, wise American known as Mr. Smith (Harris) joins ranks when he hears about Janusz's plans and warns him that Khabarov never had any aspiration to actually leave the place. However, the idea becomes a reality attracting an indebt prisoner named Valka (Farrel) and four other men escaping the Gulag and meeting a young girl named Irena (Ronan) on the path to freedom.

The story is synonymous with walking more than a marathon every day through harsh terrain, uncontrollable elements and lack of food and water for an open-ended amount of time. The gravity of the story is unmatched by any film released this year; told through the art of cinematography and the acting talents of the cast. Both Oscar worthy aspects of the film, however, the cinematography itself is unmatched by any 2010 film. Also, a lot can be said about the all-star cast concerning Jim Sturges, Ed Harris, Colin Farrel, Mark Strong, and Saoirse Ronan and their superb character portrayals; however, there is one other actor that stands out. A man in the group named Zoran played by Dragos Bucar is able to break through the thin layer of dramatic tension in the film with his clever social humor. The comedy he creates does not take away from the story and instead adds to the story allowing the characters to unwind and have a good time.

The outcomes to films within the "jailbreak" genre are inevitably easy to predict, therefore, causing films like "The Way Back" to work hard in order to be original. "The Way Back" does a very good job by differentiating the way it is captured on film through its beautiful cinematography; however, great films such as "The Shawshank Redemption" and "The Great Escape" will always be on top of the genre. "The Way Back" isn't far off though with its main shortcoming stemming from the ending relying on a storyline tangent not fully developed (not the montage, the montage is great).

This is the most underrated movie of 2010 with its limited advertising exposure, release and lack of award fulfillment with only one Oscar nomination for Best Make Up (well deserved as the group of survivors' skin is torn apart by the elements). A 4,000-mile true story taking place in the World War II era with excellent cinematography and great acting seems like the ideal candidate for the Oscars. So why was this must see film left in the shadows?

Engaging survival drama

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 7 May 2014]

THE WAY BACK is a highly effective survival drama that tells the true story of a group of Siberian prison escapees who undertake an incredibly arduous trip to India after deciding to travel there by foot. The first half an hour of the movie sets up the prison camp scenario while the rest of it charts the almost impossible journey. Of course, much of the suspense arises from seeing as to whether any of the characters will actually make it.

This film has the edge over something like THE GREY purely because it's more realistic. The characters are at the mercy of the elements and the story becomes a battle between humanity and nature. There's an epic, almost LAWRENCE OF ARABIA style feel to the movie at times. There's also a gritty edge to the proceedings which makes it feel very non-Hollywood, and the performances add to that. Colin Farrell is probably the best he's ever been as a rough Russian gambler while Ed Harris is almost unrecognisable as an elder member of the group. Newcomer Jim Sturgess is sympathetic as the erstwhile leader, and there's an oddly touching minor role for Mark Strong, who reminds you how good he can be when he's not typecast as a villain.

Peter Weir goes from ocean to desert

[doubleo · 10/10 · 16 November 2010]

Peter Weir's follow-up to Master & Commander (2003) is the unflinching, stark, & brilliant The Way Back, which takes on the weighty theme of man's struggle for freedom.

At the dawn of WWII, several men escape from a Russian gulag. The film details their perilous & uncertain journey to freedom, as they cross deserts, mountains, & several nations.

The cast is a clever mix of seasoned pros & relative newcomers. Ed Harris, in the role of the sole American, lends his usual gravitas. Colin Farrell borrows from his In Bruges character, but the addition of bad jailhouse tattoos is wildly amusing, & his Russian is quite passable. It's always nice to see Mister Farrell doing serious work, rather than bland fluff like Miami Vice or SWAT. Mark Strong's brief, but plot-essential appearance is joyous.

Jim Sturgess gets a chance to redeem himself from the disastrous flop 21, & does a fine job here, as the central character. & the adolescent Saoirse Ronan belies her extensive & impressive resume with an understated performance that sparkles against the men's terse asperity.

Breathtaking vistas that serve as the backdrop to the cast's efforts lend The Way Back an epic feel, echoed by mature editing, & mavellously restrained use of music.

This is, quite possibly, the most serious film Peter Weir has ever directed, & the result is both thought-provoking & inspiring. We can only hope that it gets a proper release, & is allowed an opportunity to reach its grown-up audience.

Solid story that looks great but is told with far too much reverence and respect – to the point of being hard to engage with emotionally

[bob the moo · 24 July 2011]

A group of men break free from the security and barbed wire fence of a Siberian gulag in search of freedom, however the guards are very small beer to the real prison – the ravages of nature itself and the great distance which must be crossed before they can be truly free.

Given that the focus of the film appeared to be one of endurance in the face of great suffering, this film is a bit of a hard sell for the casual viewer looking for something to watch of an evening; certainly for me this was part of the reason it took me a minute to decide to watch it. While it was an OK film, I'm not entirely sure if it was worth the two hours plus that it took to watch because it gives the viewer very little to engage with in doing so. The story is impressive in terms of the toll and also the sacrifice involved and accordingly the film wears it very seriously indeed. Hollywood excess is avoided and any crass sentimentality is absent, both of which I appreciated being omitted and restrained, and Weir documents the journey with a solemn air throughout. The first problem is that it feels like you're in a church – bowed with reverence witnessing things of importance but not really engaging with them because you're not really worthy. This feeling of worthiness really kept me at arms' length from the characters and the challenge they faced, to the point where it felt a little indifferent towards any specific one of them – not in a cruel way, but the feat appears to have been the focus rather than the people.

This is still able to make an interesting film though, because the feat is quite a thing and, as I said, the film is very careful to do it justice and not sentimentalise or trivialise it. This is my second problem with it – it probably overdoes it in this regard considering that so much of the story is questionable. I try not to let "facts" get in the way of enjoying a good movie because as a Brit I am used to seeing Hollywood twist history to make it more sellable to the mid-West etc. Thing is though, it is hard to accept that this is a good story when the film emphasises that it is true and also treats it with such reverence and respect for fear of getting it "wrong". Quite how one can get it "wrong" when so much of it is in doubt is anyone's guess, but the film takes this route and it hurts it in the process. It still makes for a very sturdy film but there without caring about the characters or really feeling in their trial, it didn't do a terrible lot else for me and I was surprised by how much of it I was just able to watch with very little involvement other than my eyes and ears.

One thing the film does do really well though is the delivery (visually speaking of course). The locations are immense and are put on the screen by director Peter Weir and cinematographer Russell Boyd in such a way that captures not only their natural beauty but also the sheer, uncompromising size of the places. It looks great throughout and I was surprised when I looked it up to find that Boyd didn't even merit an Oscar nomination for his work here (although it is an award category that has yet to give one to Roger Deakins so no surprise). It perhaps contributions to the "look at this epic story" worthiness that the film has, but in the case of the looks, it is worth it.

The cast also match the worthy tone and don't have a lot of time for character in between portraying hardship and perseverance. Sturgess struggles to really make an impression but he is OK in a central role. He is fortunate though to have Harris, Strong and Farrell with him, because they both bring presence and charisma in a way that looks easy. The rest of the group are good as well, but they also struggle to make an impression in all the worthiness.

The Way Back is an interesting film that looks great, but it is also overly worthy and serious to a point that it is hard to really engage with it because it is hard to reach the characters on the pedestal that Weir puts them on.

A moving film, based on a true story, told beautifully by Peter Weir, amazing cinematography.

[prateak09 · 7/10 · 25 May 2011]

Director Peter Weir, who also wrote the screenplay and produced this movie, has managed to create an epic film with some marvelous landscapes where the main message here is the constant struggle for life and freedom. He explores extreme situations lived by the characters in a very effective way. You can almost feel all the desperation and the great effort to keep going even in so many radical circumstances like the climate changes and starvation. In addition, I found interesting that Weir focused more on the philosophical and reflexive state of the characters instead of just showing us their day-to-day relations and interactions.

About the story, after being accused of espionage in Russia during the height of communism, Zoran (Dragos Balkur) finds himself wrongfully imprisoned in a gulag in the heart of Siberia, his only thoughts ones of escape. At the gulag he meets Valka (Farrell), a thug and gangster with a knife that Zoran needs to escape. He also enlists Mr. Smith (Ed Harris), the only American in the gulag, to help with the escape and together with a few others they manage to break free from the gulag, but that's only the start of the story. From there they need to travel, on foot, thousands of miles into India, the only communist free country anywhere near them. Ronan stars as Irena, a Russian girl the escapees pick up along the way.

This is a moving film, based on a true story, told beautifully by Peter Weir. The locations are gorgeous. From the harsh snow-covered trees of Siberia, a terrifying blizzard blowing through the trees, to the stark, barren landscape of the deserts between Russia and China as they travel over the sand. The viewer gets the full brunt of the harsh conditions these men needed to survive to get to safety.

There are moments of rye humor, and deep emotion. And a quietly growing bond between men who have nothing in common but the journey, and their individual capacity to endure it. But some may find the film a bit slow in a number of parts so it helps to have a great interest in the subject matter. The film isn't boring, but I can see some people seeing it that way, especially if you're used to today's action movies.

The finale is the most intriguing part of the movie. Tricky almost but it resonates with the sadness of these broken humans, how the woman has stood in place punishing herself for a lifetime for her betrayal, the man having to wait a lifetime to absolve her. But everything said, I just felt the emotional factor was a bit less.

The performances are also great. The director took a huge risk casting Sturgess as the main lead because he is new to this game, but he did an amazing job as a man that needs to escape inescapable odds to right a wrong he didn't even admit. Farell as Valka is as brilliant as always and shows his versatility again. His scary performance as a killer and psychopath that loves the people who put him in the prison he finds himself in, is a treat to watch. He carries that menace and unpredictability around with him with great aplomb. He and his distinguishable accent are remarkable. Ed Harris has also given a solid performance as always. Ronan is great as a girl who gets help from men that shouldn't be able to give it. She has the right balance of vulnerability and strength to make her great to watch. She is great actor and a worthy Oscar nominee for her performance in The Atonement. This great cast including every other supporting actors really makes you care about the slowly bonding group as they travel mile after mile through harsh conditions and dangerous environments.

One should also mention the make-up done in the movie. The make-up crew did an incredible job on how the aspect of the human body changes along such a hard journey and they certainly deserved the Oscar nomination they received.

All in all, this is great inspirational movie that anyone that who enjoys a good prison escape film should watch. Big production, excellent actors, big scenery, extremely cold weather, extremely hot weather, lots of suffering by everybody involved, it's worthy to watch this movie just because of the landscapes, so vast and majestic. After all these praises, some may find my rating a bit low but the movie just lacked the heart-wrenching emotional moments that this kind of movie should have. Besides that, its a must see the movie for the amazing cinematography and commendable performances. I rate it 7.5 out 10.

Peter Weir returns with a masterpiece

[richard-1967 · 10/10 · 19 December 2010]

Anyone familiar with Peter Weir's incredible body of work - particularly his earlier Australian-produced movies - knows that a new Weir movie is an important event indeed. Almost all Weir's too-infrequent movies are at least noteworthy (Witness, Dead Poets Society) if not downright great (Year of Living Dangerously, The Last Wave).

With The Way Back, Weir may have made his greatest film ever. An epic and unrushed (2 1/4 hours) trek from a Soviet Gulag to the green hills of India, this is a beautifully filmed and superbly acted piece. Let it take its time; it is thrilling and appalling, but also beautiful.

The story, which Weir apparently has long wanted to film, is based on the account of a Polish army officer who later moved to England and wrote (with a ghost-writer) the book "The Long Walk," describing the journey he took with seven others. The movie is quite true to the book, right down to the American "Mr. Smith," Ed Harris' character. While the veracity of the story in the book has been questioned, that doesn't interfere with the great film-making.

Harris is fine as always, as is Colin Farrell as a Russian thug, but it is Jim Sturgess, as the Polish leader of the expedition, who has the most bravura performance.

Bravo to the cast, cinematographer, and most of all, Mr. Weir.

Inspirational if dubious story

[briancham1994 · 7/10 · 1 June 2020]

Did this really happen? There are conflicting answers. Regardless, we can approach this story in a very general way as a testament to the human spirit in the face of adversity. It is brutal and oppressive but also human and inspiring.

Grim, But Beautiful

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 4 May 2011]

Having read several books about escapes from Siberia, I was interested in seeing one of them put on screen. I say this because the film is a bit slow in a number of parts so it helps to have a great interest in the subject matter. The film isn't boring - at least, to me - but I can see some people seeing it that way, especially if you're used to today's action movies.

The scenery is magnificent and some of the shots by director Peter Weir are jaw-dropping. This is Weir's first film since the 2003 "Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World." The man does quality work.

Ed Harris one of the few, if not only, actors in here whose English you can clearly understand, so it's a good idea to play this DVD with subtitles. You get a fair of amount of subtitles with the Russian characters, anyway, but none are distracting from the scenery or story. The characters and acting in here are good, too.

If this subject matter interests you, find the book, "As Far As My Feet Will Carry Me," about a one-man escape from a Siberian Labor Camp following WWII.

Good performances

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 24 December 2013]

A group of gulag prisoners escape from Siberia and walk all the way to India. Janusz (Jim Sturgess) is a Polish prisoner. Valka (Colin Farrell) has a criminal past. Mr Smith (Ed Harris) is an American. Irena (Saoirse Ronan) is a girl they pick up along the way.

There is an allusion to a true story of 3 prisoners emerging in India. That story is questionable, but more importantly, it distracts from the movie. The reality of the movie becomes a constant nagging question. It is probably better to just let the story be completely fictional. Irena is probably the hardest to believe. She's an obvious device to add drama.

The best performance may be Colin Farrell. The accent can be excused. It's his intensity that stands out. And Jim Sturgess is compelling. All the acting is superb.

A Soviet Schindler's List

[zvg-1 · 10/10 · 17 April 2011]

This film tells two stories. The literal one involves a group of Gulag escapees that cross the whole Eurasian continent in order to escape from Russian oppression.

The scenery is amazing, the acting is solid, but, as it has already been noted in other reviews, the action isn't driven by dialogue. At first glance it could seem that some of the characters lack depth, it could seem that the supporting characters lack complexity and history that is so needed for emotional attachment.

But to achieve full understanding of the film, some knowledge of the history of Europe is mandatory. When the metaphor provided by the literal storyline is understood, the characters light up in a completely different light. Suddenly the unrealistically long and hazardous trip takes the revealing shape of the 50-year-long European genocide, repressions, suffering and struggle for independence; a struggle that has been wrongfully forgotten by many in the West.

Thank you for telling our story.

Made Me Feel the Cold

[Tweetienator · 7/10 · 21 November 2022]

I stumbled per chance over The Way Back, never heard or read anything about this movie before. The Way Back is based on the memoir/book of the former Polish prisoner of war Slawomir Rawicz, who claimed to have escaped from a Soviet Gulag and walked 4,000 miles to freedom during World War II. The production is fine, director and cast do well (Sturgess, Farrell, Harris, Strong, Ronan), the story captivating - I would recommend this one to everyone who likes movies a la The Grey, The Revenant, As Far as My Feet Will Carry Me and so on. My only complain on this one is that the Gulag part was a little too short for my taste.

This is how it´s done

[Waedliman · 8/10 · 18 November 2020]

This is a wonderful film that is completely unpretentious, has no explosions, maltreated corpses or dramatic emotional outbursts, but a stringent and focused narrative, good camera work and above all great actors, all together as an ensemble. And even though we know that Ed Harris and Colin Farrell are always worth their money, especially Farrell as a Russian criminal is an absolute highlight. How he goes from being brutal, then self-doubting to a social being is very well directed by Peter Weir, but played by Farrell in a truly stunning way. Halfway through the film, a fresh, new color comes into play with Saoirse Ronan. Weir builds up the story well, maybe the hike through the Himalayas is a little too short, but at that point we already understood what drives the small troop of survivalists. A true gem.

Forgettable!

[Panther826 · 5/10 · 16 July 2011]

The plot is too lean, the dialog is dry and the film editing is horrible, we often see one scene jumps to another without much explanations or transitions. There are few to none in characters background and development. All the actors in this film can be replaced by someone else and the quality of the film would still be the same. The lead actor, whatever his name is, does not have enough charisma to pull it off.

In my opinion, it's definitely not one of the worst films I've seen, but it certainly does not contain any interests for me to be attached to. Overall, this film is forgettable.

I give it a 5 and I'm being generous. And what's up with all the 10s, 9s and 8s??? Are you people serious??

A rather amazing film.

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 19 September 2021]

I am very surprised that this movie was ever made. After all, the world has seldom really talked about Soviet gulags and it's not like this is a fun or cinematic topic. In addition, it took a lot of trouble to create the sets and film in places such as Bulgaria, Mongolia and India.

The story begins in 1940 in a prison camp in Siberia. The purpose of the camp is to essentially work the prisoners to death and hundreds of them were spread throughout the old Soviet Union. Knowing that they won't survive for long, a small group of prisoners plan an escape. The problem is that such an escape seems impossible, as it is many thousands of miles to freedom....through Siberia and the Gobi Desert in Mongolia AND the Himalayas to freedom in India.

This story is based on a book by a person who claims to have done such an escape. However, the voracity of this account is highly questionable and so the film does not purport to be any one person's tale but a fictionalization of what could have occurred.

The story is very slow and methodical but it also is never dull. I credit that with an excellent script as well as direction by Peter Weir. As for the acting, it was exceptional as well...gritty, realistic and tough. Overall, a rather amazing movie...well worth seeing and important because it brings to light the evil of the Soviet gulag system.

Softens the Sting

[LeonLouisRicci · 7/10 · 9 August 2013]

Oops. When you make the supposedly impenetrable landscape like snow infested mountains with mega-sub-zero temps, and the uncompromising, waterless and scorching desert look so attractive, it softens the sting.

This great looking Movie sometimes feels like a safe National Geographic Travelog that you enjoy from your couch as a painless experience. Yes, these Characters do get some skin irritations, and some do die from the trek, it is played out with as little investment as possible from the Audience.

It is sprawling, to say the least, and the escapees do bond enough to make it as a team, but there is, unrealistically, not enough conflict and Drama. It is all handled in such a delicate way, that it is too Artsy for its own good. It is without much tension and it all plays out so gentile that the Movie is OK to watch but there is way too little to feel.

The Long, Long Journey

[rpvanderlinden · 10/10 · 26 November 2011]

Australian Peter Weir is one of the great artists and craftsmen in cinema of the past 40 years. As a storyteller he seems interested in the the plight of the stranger in a strange land, the man who stumbles into a world where he is totally out of his element and the rules of the society he knows and believes in no longer apply. The two films that brought him to the world stage, "Picnic at Hanging Rock" (1975) and "The Last Wave" (1977) depict the fragility of our civilization as it crashes full tilt into a spiritual world that exists beyond time and space and rational comprehension. In the truly wonderful "Witness" (1985), violent cop Harrison Ford, wounded and pursued by crooked cops, hides out in an Amish community in Pennsylvania. A real fish out of water tale. I saw this film on its opening in a packed Toronto theatre. There was such a hush from the audience I swear you could hear a pin drop, and at the end the entire audience broke into spontaneous and prolonged applause. Okay, pardon my digression. I once knew someone knowledgeable who illuminated some of Weir's earlier films for me and helped to made that director a personal favourite.

In "The Way Back" (2010) a group of political prisoners and one bona fide crook and con artist, in Stalin's Russia ca. 1948, escape from a prison camp in Siberia. Their journey takes them across frozen Siberia, the Gobi desert and the Himalayas to their ultimate destination, India and freedom. Some of them don't make it. The elements are the enemy. The film does a fine job of juxtaposing the most minuscule details with the vastness and harsh beauty of the landscapes (the photography is by Oscar-winner Russell Boyd). Along the way the men discover that the world they once took for granted has been recast in the molds of the hammer-and-sickle and the red star. Colin Farrell plays the hard-done-by con man who, nevertheless, will brook no mockery of his tattoo of Stalin. Ed Harris plays an American known simply as Mr. Smith, a grumpy old bear and an expert at survival, who harbours a deep hurt. He's the weight at the movie's core. Jim Sturgess is the new guy, a Polish army officer and resident artist, who has an especially compelling reason for making it back. Then there is the persistent, stray young woman (Saoirse Ronan) whom the men, some grudgingly (a laggard and another mouth to feed), allow to tag along. Observant, talkative and direct, she brings the healing power of conversation to the men and a much-appreciated softer texture to the movie.

"The Way Back" has a feel to it reminiscent of the epic films of David Lean ("Lawrence of Arabia", "Doctor Zhivago", "A Passage to India") and Steven Spielberg's "Empire of the Sun". It's a nice change from the testosterone-charged epics currently ruling the box office. Weir hasn't culled a melodramatic storyline from the true-life material he is working from. The struggle to survive, physically and spiritually, seems dramatic enough, and the movie is never plodding or boring. It's been edited to just the right length, a trim two-and-a-quarter hours. The Himalayan leg of the journey is quickly dispensed with because, after all, the story that Peter Weir wanted to tell has been told by that point. Well, almost. The journey is not over. Using "walking" as the movie's predominant metaphor, there is a bold and thrilling final sequence that made me gasp with delight. It's a leap of the imagination that few movies manage to take.

For anyone who likes "The Way Back" I can't recommend highly enough the 2003 mountain-climbing survival movie "Touching the Void", a dramatization of a true story. Go out of your way to get hold of it.

Amazing

[robbie-mcmahon256 · 9/10 · 16 April 2011]

This film is awesome, the script on Stalin's regime and how they fought for survival is in doubt the biggest struggle. The scenery that was shot in this film was amazing. Peter Weir as the director is brilliant as he has brought this script and the theme and put it together really well. Colin Farrell and Ed Harris play both their parts really well as 2 of the best actors of our generation even Saoirse Ronan who I haven't seen before in film played a fantastic part as a young actress. The script brought the facts as how they should be portrayed well in the motion picture. This film is well worth watching, the courage that these strangers had is unbelievable and I think Peter weir shows in the direction how far we are able to achieve determination. The ending was brilliant it shows a fantastic outcome,a very fulfilling experience.