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A long walk to freedom
This is a story of a group of war prisoners who escape from a high-security prison and walk thousands of miles to freedom
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his is a story of a group of war prisoners who escape from a high-security prison and walk thousands of miles to freedom.
When Slavomir Rawicz, a Polish man living in England, published his extraordinary book The Long Walk in 1956, his dramatic story about his escape from certain death became a major sensation.
In the book, Rawicz wrote how he and six prisoners escaped the horrendous Gulag-run labor camps in the Soviet Union for freedom during World War II in the 1940s.
They walked around 4,000 miles for almost 12 months from snowy Siberia through the never-ending desserts of Mongolia, Tibet, across the Himalayas, to India.
Even though the book has sold more than 500,000 copies and has been printed in many languages, skepticism remains whether the story is really based on Rawicz’s personal life story or is simply a fiction.
The controversy has risen mostly because there are no clear records or evidence that backup the story in The Long Walk. Moreover, there was another former Polish soldier who claimed the book was an account of his escape.
Aside from the book’s pro-con, director Peter Weir, popularly known for his previous works, which include Master and Commander, The Truman Show, The Year of Living Dangerously, and Dead Poets Society, once again has shown his midas touch in bringing the epic story to the big screen in his latest film, The Way Back.
At the beginning of the film, we catch a glimpse of the situation during World War II, such as the sternness of military officers, the gun pointing and the fear of the prisoners who lived in the shadow
of death.
The first scenes depict Europeans living in horrific conditions under Nazi and Communist occupation, the prisoners and their struggle to survive the deadly camps.
The Way Back kicks off when a Polish man Janusz (played by Jim Sturgess) is accused of being an anti-communist by his own wife and ends up being brought to a Siberian camp with many other prisoners.
There, he befriends fellow inmate Khabarov (Mark Strong), a talkative former actor who plans to escape from the prison. Driven to flee from the prison, Janusz arranges an escape with Khabarov, but when D-Day comes, Khabarov chooses to wait it out at the labor camp.
Janusz himself is later joined by six inmates, including cynical yet hard-nose American Mr. Smith (Ed Harris), Russian thug Valka (Colin Farrell), an innocent man with nearsightedness named Kazik (Sebastian Urzendowsky) and three other inmates who are described as the priest, the funny man and the cook or the artist.
They never realize that they never considered that the world outside the gulag could be even wilder and more dangerous than life in the prison itself as they find themselves struggling to survive in the wild by killing animals for food to stay alive.
Their ultimate enemy is no longer soldiers with guns in their hands, but nature itself.
In the middle of their journey, they unexpectedly meet a mysterious girl named Irena (Saoirse Ronan), who later joins the entourage.
After Irena joins the group the strangers grow closer together as they depend on one another to survive.
The film features thirst, starvation and exhaustion as the prisoners try to survive in extreme places and weather, from the snowdrifts and blizzards of Siberia to the scorching heat of the Gobi Desert.
The Way Back is an emotional account of prisoners struggling to be free, even if it costs them their lives. Weir smartly combines some touching moments with comedic scenes which ensure the audiences’ eyes are glued to the screen until the film reaches its ending.
The actors also do a terrific job. Ed Harris continues his remarkable career portraying a man who at first hides behind his mask before later deciding to open up about himself.
Jim Sturgess (Legends of Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole, Across the Universe, The Other Boleyn Girl), who is the leader of the group of prisoners, allows us to follow both his strengths and weaknesses in leading his team, showing that he is only a human being who is no match for nature’s might.
After a string of unimpressive roles in a few movies, Colin Farrell finally makes the right choice by being part of this film’s ensemble and shows his ability again as a real actor through his portrayal of a hot-tempered Russian criminal.
Saoirse Ronan, known for her role as Susie Salmon in the thriller The Lovely Bones, once again proves her acting talent as a promising actress through her portrayal of Irena, a teen with a dark secret.
However, after a breathtaking journey of struggle it feels as though Weir wraps the film up way too quickly. But overall, the film is an interesting piece to watch and fascinating in almost every part.
Verdict: An inspirational epic adventure about survival and endurance which drives us to appreciate our life and make the most out of it.
The Way Back (133 minutes, Exclusive Films & National Geographic Films)
Starring Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris, Colin Farrell, Alexandru Potocean, Mark Strong, Saoirse Ronan, Gustaf Skarsgard, Dragos Bucur, Sebastian Urzendowsky
Director: Peter Weir
Writers: Keith Clarke, Peter Weir
Producers: Keith Clarke, John Ptak, Guy East
