A wonderful travelogue. Compared to the hyperactive 127 Hours, The Way Back was very confident in the power of its story. The scenary is captured astonishingly well with minimal flashy cuts and camera swoops. Colin Farrell goes big, Ed Harris goes small, and Jim Sturgess is a work-in-progress. I was very impressed with Saorsie Ronan and Mark Strong's supporting turn. I can see how some people would find the scenary to overshadow the characters, but I think that was the intention. And aside from two of the characters, I found everyone to be very well defined.

Maybe its the traveler in me but I absolutely adored watching it. There's a montage at the end that may turn some people off, and while I didn't find the very end to be perfect, it was earned. Up until then, the film didn't pull any punches... And even that final shot was terribly bittersweet.

The Way Back is a great escape film that at times gets overshadowed by its beautiful scenery rather than the performances. The story definitely asks a lot from the audience as there is close to no action going on at all. It relies completely on character interactions and if you can make it through that, this film will be a breeze for you. The acting is fine across the board. Colin Farrell represents again that he does a fine job in almost anything he is in but it would of been nice if he was involved longer. Ed Harris does a good job representing his age here but it would of been nice to see his character out in the crowd more instead of taking a back seat in the middle. His ending is also a bit abrupt. Saoirse Ronan does a good job as well but she is falling into becoming a typecast. The true winner though is Jim Sturgess as he shows his rising talent as an actor. It is not direWeir's best but it is very strong still. It's a film that audiences will probably be split on. However, I'm on the side that enjoyed it. ***

Ronan is becoming typecast?

Peter Weir is my favorite living director. He operates on two levels. On one hand, there is a Steven Spielberg/James Cameron-esque quality to his films. He understands how to enchant, frighten, and inspire awe in moviegoers, at times in very old-fashioned and simple, but effective ways. But there's also a deeper, more mysterious side to Weir's oeuvre. His films, both art-house (Picnic at Hanging Rock) and big-budget (Witness, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World), tap into what it is to stare into nature, what it is to stare into the unknown.

The Way Back, based on the book The Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz, is yet another masterpiece by Weir. The film concerns seven multinational inmates, including an American engineer (Ed Harris), a Polish soldier (Jim Sturgess), and a Russian gangster (Colin Farrell), who escape from a Siberian gulag during a snowstorm and travel by foot to India and freedom, a dangerous, near insurmountable 4,000-mile adventure through dense forest and over the Gobi Desert and Himalaya Mountains. Men are lost along the way, and a young female refugee (Saoirse Ronan) joins them.

Similar to Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Weir's last film, this is a challenging, unsentimental historical epic. He does not concentrate on tugging viewers' heartstrings, but rather details--the landscape, the physical torment. Character development is subtle and unobtrusive; a detail here, a detail there. By the end, there is affection for the characters and interest in their fate, but it does not feel forced or overbearing, but rather natural and hard-won, just as it was with Capt. Jack Aubrey and the men of the HMS Surprise. Each performance in The Way Back is fantastic. Jim Sturgess, as group's kind and level-headed de facto leader, is the film's anchor. This is his best performance to date. Ed Harris turns in an intense, weathered performance as "Mr. Smith," a mysterious American whose tragic circumstances come into full view over the course of the film. The wonderful Saoirse Ronan (Atonement, The Lovely Bones) is equal parts sensitive and tough as Irena. Her chemistry with Harris is touching, and their final moment together is unforgettable. As good as Harris, Sturgess, Ronan, and, in a small role, Mark Strong are, much of the film is stolen by Colin Farrell. From his impeccable Russian accent to his animalistic movements, the Irish actor vanishes into the colorful role of Valka, a knife-wielding thug with Stalin and Lenin tattooed on his chest.

In the film's second scene, a guard says to the gulag's newcomers, "Nature is your jailer, and she is without mercy." These words haunt the film. Escaping the wood and wire of the gulag itself is not hard, but the thousands of miles of unforgiving wilderness between Siberia and India test not only the characters' physical strength, but also their will to live. Shot on location in several nations, including Bulgaria and Morocco, the film has a scope comparable to the classic films of David Lean (Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago). Sharp-eyed cinematographer Russell Boyd, who won an Oscar for Master and Commander, captures the atmosphere of each majestic location. You feel as if you are right there with the characters, and the larger-than-life canvas which is the big screen does not for a second go to waste.

Though Slavomir Rawicz's memoir remains a best seller, it has been debated how factual his account is. Regardless, it is a compelling, inspiring read. Weir and co-writer Keith Clarke's respectful, at times loose adaptation is just as compelling and inspiring. There are several thought-provoking scenes, one involving Farrell's Valka and a fateful decision made at the Russian/Mongolian border.

Almost as amazing as the storyline in The Way Back is the fact the film, an independent production, cost just $30 million. In an era where $100-200 million projects with garish CGI and no intelligence litter the cinematic landscape (hello, The Green Hornet), it is beautiful a director as economical, intelligent, and skilled as Peter Weir is still active, telling worthwhile stories with or without studio support. The Way Back, his thirteenth feature since his debut in 1974, is a must-see. I hope it's not another seven years before the fourteenth is made.

A

To me, yeah. I mean I think she should tackle more roles suitable to her age rather than always doing these big "adult" roles. I have a feeling Steinfeld could face the same route. Though in Ronan's case, maybe Hanna will be a nice change for her.

She was in City of Ember, a family movie.

I see your point, but I wouldn't agree she's typecast. The roles themselves are quite different. In Atonement, she played a very childish character--impetuous, juvenile, etc. Whereas in The Way Back she's playing a hardened stoic.

I know the trend on this forum is to avoid the box office bombs (they become invalid moviegoing experiences or something) but c'mon! This is a wonderful movie that is so, so worth seeing on the largest screen possible!

The 20+ pages in the thread for The New World render the post above very untrue.

Doesn't render the fact more people should see The Way Back in theatres before it's gone untrue, Lecter.

You're right lecter, one significant counter example renders a general trend completely untrue, good logic.

I still have to see the one good post that renders the general consensus that Michael A is the worst poster ever on this site untrue.

I saw this a second time last night (it's leaving my local theatre). I was glad to see a few other people there--ten or so.

Such a great movie. Played even better the second time. I can't wait for the Blu-ray release.

I hope this is an Oscar-winning movie in 24 hours.

Wasn't sure I was going to care much for this one, but it surprised me. It's thoroughly engaging and the characters are interesting. Very good performances across the board. I thought Saoirse Ronan was great.

A nice, intimate epic, if you will. Deserved a wider release.

8/10 (B+)

Glad you enjoyed it!

I've watched the Blu-ray twice since Tuesday. Completely love this movie. Couldn't be more underrated.

I expected more. I thought it was rather dull for most of the time and Sturgess wasn't as good as a lead as I had hoped for. I wasn't very emotionally involved either. C+