...Is a Long Walk
"In 1941, three men reach India from Tibet, having walked 4000 miles after escaping a Siberian gulag..." The Way Back has been dedicated to them. You will watch as 7 men escape a prison in Siberia during a snowstorm and battle starvation, exhaustion, dehydration, wolves, mountainous landscapes, deserts, snow, wind, freezing temperatures and the integrity of their own human kindness, to find freedom. You will also ask yourself if you could have or would have done the same.
What a fantastic film! While the 133 minute expanse of the film felt more like 205 minutes, it just added to the effect of exhaustion and long miles that these characters covered. It was fascinating to watch how they survived and how they could possibly keep themselves going with such a vast destination ahead of them. I'm not sure I'm made of the stuff that would have taken on that feat. Then again, I suppose you never know what kind of person you'll be unless actually faced with a decision like that. Performances by Ed Harris (love this guy!), Colin Farell, Saorise Ronan (she's becoming a fast favorite of mine from The Lovely Bones and Hannah) and Jim Sturgess were superb.
The only thing keeping me from telling you that this is a Must See is that it isn't clear if this is based on a true story or not. The movie is loosely based on a memoir titled The Long Walk credited to Slawomir Rawicz but ghost-written by Ronald Downing. There is speculation as to whether the tale is actually true and who it was that really walked. If I knew it was in fact a true story I would say absolutely rent it this weekend! As it is, I say it's a Should See.
If you want a true story that is excellently written, filmed to perfection and acted with melancholic flare then rent Defiance this weekend. It is directed by Edward Zwick and stars Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber. If you haven't seen Defiance you are committing a cinematic crime and must correct your actions as soon as possible.
Motherly Advice: With medium filters this movie was still a little disturbing simply because of the facts that it deals with. The whole reason these characters are in prison is because of Stalin's crazy reign. I was spared some violence and bloodshed and even some dialogue on the subjects. There was still talk of murder, torture and cannibalism (talk only) and plenty of death. The entire plot of the movie and theme it deals with is unsuitable for kids even with filtering. I'd give this one a go ahead for older teens, lets say 16 and up.
Danielle'- Lovin' My New Tennis Shoes Right Now
Posts
