THE WAY BACK (2010) - Movie Review

Director: Peter Weir
Starring: Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris, Colin Farrell, Dragos Bucur, Alexandru Potocean, Saoirse Ronan, Mark Strong
Genre: Drama, Adventure, History
Writer: Peter Weir, Keith R. Clarke
Runtime: 133 min
Rated: PG-13 for violent content, depiction of physical hardships, a nude image and brief strong language
Buy This Movie: Blu-ray (Amazon), DVD (Amazon), Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV

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Synopsis:

Inspired by an incredible true story, The Way Back Begins in 1940 when seven prisoners attempt the impossible: escape from a brutal Siberian gulag. Thus begins a treacherous 4,500-mile trek to freedom across the world's most merciless landscapes. Their humanity is further tested when they meet a teenage runway who begs to join them on their quest.

Review:

Loosely based on the 1956 memoir "The Long Walk" by Slawomir Rawicz, the film follows seven prisoners who mount a daring escape and 4,000-mile trek from the freezing inferno of a Siberian Soviet Gulag to sweet freedom in India. The memoir has been contested, however some proof does exist that such an incredible journey did indeed occur as depicted in the book. Regardless, it's still a very powerful story and six-time Oscar-nominated writer/director Peter Weir ("Master and Commander", "The Truman Show", "Gallipoli") turns it into a fascinating and memorable survival drama.

Weir is very capable in handling both grand-scale entertainment and character-driven drama, expertly weaving them together while exploring impactful underlying themes. On the surface, "The Way Back" is a simple epic adventure, and while the script doesn't do anything groundbreaking with this story, Weir skillfully extracts a wealth of richly detailed characterizations and achieves a profound meditation on humanity's darkest and brightest potentials in the face of insurmountable odds.

Set in 1941 after both Hitler and Stalin invaded Poland, splitting the country in two, the film stars Jim Sturgess as young Polish army officer Janusz Wieszczek, who is serving a 20-year sentence in the Gulag. Unfairly convicted by the oppressive Soviets for spying and speaking against Stalin and the Soviet Party, Janusz is about to perpetrate the ultimate act of defiance by escaping the inhuman Gulag with a group of fellow convicts. Their journey is filled with dangers, both human and natural, but thirst and starvation quickly become their worst enemies. It's such a physically wrenching experience, that even the MPAA added "depiction of physical hardships" to their PG-13 rating.

The casting is solid, and that's a good thing, because you'll be spending all of two hours with most of these actors. Sturgess leads the small ensemble with a very strong performance. Ed Harris, Colin Farrell, Drago Bucur, Alexandru Potocean and Saoirse Ronan are also riveting, and it's enthralling to watch them interact with each other. Farrell, however, occasionally stands out as slightly over-the-top and cartoonish, to the point of becoming comic relief. It's a colorful performance, no doubt, and perhaps the most memorable of the bunch, but he's also a bit distracting.

The movie features absolutely stunning and awe inspiring scenery beautifully captured by cinematograper Russel Boyd. The movie is produced by National Geographic and it really shows. It also features impressive makeup effects that were nominated for an Oscar in 2011, but unfortunately it lost to "The Wolfman". The Academy really loves creature features.

"The Way Back" is Weir's last movie, and I really miss him as a filmmaker. It's a very ambitious movie, a gorgeously cinematic tale of survival and hope with complex character dynamics and powerful acting. While at times the tone feels remote and clinical, the film's emotional strength creeps up on you and hits you in the gut when you least expect it. Definitely a must watch!

SCORE: 8.5/10