Movie Review: THE WAY BACK

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The Way Back is a movie that has done a terrible job marketing itself.  I haven't seen a single television ad for the poorly named film.  The few people that I've mentioned it to had never even heard of it, and if I didn't read up on everything released each weekend, I wouldn't have known about it either.  It's a shame, as the movie has so much going for it - a riveting story, great cast (led by Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris, and Colin Farrell), and an acclaimed director, Peter Weir (Master and Commander, The Truman Show).

Based on actual events, The Way Back follows a small band of escaped prisoners of war in Siberia as they trek over 4,000 miles to freedom in India.  Opening titles reveal that only three men ultimately complete the journey, and the band of escapees is much bigger than that.  The slightly overlong film chronicles their great adventure as we the audience remain interested in which three will survive the brutal walk to freedom.

The first thing that struck me was how great the cinematography was - the footage of the different countries the group travels through is worth the price of admission alone.  The group go through extreme cold, desert heat, and everything in between.  What the film lacks however is character development.  When different characters start to die off, I found myself not really caring.  Many of them are indistinguishable and could have been played by cardboard cut-outs. Also, as mentioned above, the film could have been 30 minutes shorter.  The beginning drags to the point where someone I went with was nodding off, and I doubt he was the only one.

The positives definitely outweigh the negatives though, and I would suggest this to patient movie watchers.  It's a story that was worth telling, and is told with care.  I would give it a 7 out of 10.

Parental Take:  The PG-13 rating pushes it's limits for violence including brutal conditions (as stated in the rating description.)

If You Like The Way Back Try:  Try the Siberian set thriller Transsiberian with Woody Harrelson.  While not as "important" a story, it's extremely entertaining.