24 May 2012

The Long Walk, book form

I haven't seen this as yet, I only learned of it yesterday. I know if it's half as good as the book the movie will be outstanding. Read the book. Sue N. Cinti. Oh.

lordoflepra

24 May 2012

A story proved to be a fraud. But a beautiful film anyway.

Good movie, even though its a bit false to claim that its based on atrue story. Because its not. The Polish soldier Slavomir Rawicz wasindeed arrested and sent to a camp in Siberia, but not for espionagebut for murdering a Russian NKVD officer. He was set free in 1942because of a general amnesty issued by the Soviet authorities andjoined General Anders polish army stationed in Russia in the waragainst the Nazis. The so called autobiography written by SlavomirRawicz was believed by many to be true, until the former newscorrespondent Tim Whewell presented the results of his thoroughresearch in the BBC radio documentary "Walking the talk?".A polish soldier that got a ridiculously low sentence for murder, whowas then released by the Soviet authorities and sent back to his polisharmy that fought alongside the Soviet Red Army against the Nazis. Thereyou have it! To say that the true story takes the edge of thisfictional movie is an understatement. But well worth seeing because ofthe nice filming of different landscapes and environments.Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6098218.stm

lynnnick17

24 May 2012

Good plot but very drawn out

The movie was about 15 minutes leading to the escape, over two hourswas walking, and one minute of the ending. I would only recommend thismovie to someone who has about three hours to kill. At the end of thethree hours you will still end up disappointed.Yes there was some nice scenery but I do not watch a movie for scenery.The story is OK but there is no action and very little substance. Youcan only watch a group of people walk so far. There were scenes were amild situation were occur but the whole movie you are kept waiting forsomething interesting to happen. The end is even cliché. Don't wasteyour time sitting through this movie. Watch a movie like The Count of Monte Cristo or Shawshank Redemption.

23 May 2012

HOGWASH

Ostensibly, this is a cracking film. There are seven principal characters, mostly tough men, used to enduring the worst kinds of privation. Or so they think; but then things get worse. During their ordeal, their humanity shines through. They learn to care about each other and the film is an essay in human dignity.There is one big problem. The journey they undertake is so fantastic that it requires a solid foundation in fact for us to suspend our disbelief as to the rest. We are led to believe that the foundation exists, because the central character did after all escape from the Gulag Archipelagio in 1941, cross the Siberian waste, the Gobi Desert and the Himalayas on foot, and eventually find sanctuary in British India. However, on reading Wikipedia afterwards, I find that scarcely any of this is true. In that light, the whole film resembles the happy ending - it is all hogwash.I still liked the film though.Stephen Cooper

23 May 2012

The Way Back

This review is from: The Way Back (DVD) This movie is a true story based on the book written by Slavomir Rawicz, called "The Long Walk". Having read this amazing account of the author and 6 fellow prisoners who escaped from a Soviet labor camp in Siberia in 1941, I felt somewhat disappointed with the movie. I must admit that the producers did follow the book fairly closely, but there is such detail in the book that can't be found in the movie. I recommend for the avid book reader to get their hands on this book. You won't be able to put it down. Slavomir Rawicz lived in England after the war, settling in Nottingham. He died in 2004.

khan2705

23 May 2012

not emotionally involving but epic survival movie with slow plot.

Directed by six-time Academy Award (R) nominee Peter Weir, THE WAY BACKis an epic story of survival, solidarity and indomitable human will.Shot in Bulgaria, Morocco and India, the film stars Jim Sturgess(Across the Universe, The Other Boleyn Girl), Ed Harris (Appaloosa) andColin Farrell (In Bruges) as prisoners of a Soviet Union labor camp,who, along with four others, flee their Siberian Gulag and begin atreacherous journey across thousands of miles of hostile terrain.Academy Award (R) nominee Saoirse Ronan (Atonement, The Lovely Bones)and Mark Strong (Body of Lies, RocknRolla) co-star. Written by Weir andKeith Clarke, the film is Peter's first since 2003's Master andCommander: The Far Side of the World. It is inspired by the acclaimedbook The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom, as well asfirst-person accounts and anecdotes as told to, and researched by Weirand executive producer Clarke. Produced by Joni Levin, Peter Weir,Duncan Henderson (Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World) andNigel Sinclair (Terminator 3: Salvation), THE WAY BACK is an ExclusiveMedia Group, National Geographic Entertainment and ImageNation AbuDhabi presentation and an Exclusive Films production. Keith Clarke,John Ptak, Guy East, Simon Oakes, Tobin Armbrust, Jake Eberts, EdwardBorgerding, Mohamed Khalaf, Adam Leipzig, Scott Rudin and JonathanSchwartz are Executive Producers. The film's Co-Producer is Roee SharonPeled and Co- Executive Producer is Alex Brunner. Weir has assembled anaccomplished group of filmmakers with whom he has previouslycollaborated, including Academy Award (R) winning Director ofPhotography Russell Boyd (Master and Commander, The Year of LivingDangerously, Gallipoli), Film Editor Lee Smith (Master and Commander,as well as The Dark Knight, for which he received an Academy Award (R)nomination), Production Designer John Stoddart (Fearless, The MosquitoCoast) and Costume Designer Wendy Stites, Oscar (R) nominated forMaster and Commander and with credits on nine Weir films.wow this movie i wanted to see, wasn't that anticipated but wanted tosee it. it wasn't a masterpiece but a very good movie made very finely.it got no nominations or awards consideration. its going to be kind ofunderrated. when i first saw the trailer i thought that its going to bemore adventure but of course its Oscar nominated director Peter Weir.its a slow paced epic survival adventure story. as i said it is slowpaced but very good. i liked it so much, i loved it actually. for meiits the first good movie of this year. but not extremely good, lol.Peter Weir may slightly disappoint you with this movie. it is not likeanything he ever did, kind of. but this movie had a great affect on me,seeing these people battle with the harsh conditions and try to survivereally made me feel how lucky i am that i did not have to do thesethings. this movie is very effective and it has been very long sinceanything of this sort has been made.talking about performances so they are just exactly how they should bedoing but not so excellent or top notch. Jim Strugess is someone whom ilike very much he has this young charm to him, here he is fine, he dida nice job. he plays this kind of leader and intelligent educated guyin this movie. Ed Harris did a very good job, he plays of course thesenior most guy in this tribe. he is above average. Colin Farrell isnot much seen but he did astonishingly good performance which isshocking. the character he plays generally makes the actors performvery naturally, his character is same to the Juliette Lewis's characterin Conviction, he is not much seen but he is awesome. the most limitedscreen time among them exactly goes to the young girl, lol, SaoirseRonan, i wished she should have performed well. i don't know but i didnot liked her. her character was not written that well. she was justused as a screen filler. i felt like she is a last minute addition tothis movie.Direction of this movie is very good, perfect i would say. screenplayis good but could have been slight better. some minute problems arethere with it. cinematography is to die for, shooting in exactlydifferent locations from dessert to freezing snowy areas to jungles andgrasslands. just outstanding, awesome photography. editing is good, artdirection and costumes are fine.well i liked this movie so much, there isn't so much in the movie allin all in places but still you get thrill and adventure which is good.the characters background are not much shown, their backdrop but stillyou get in their veins. this film just got one nomination, the deservedone, Best Make up, which is very good in this movie. but seriously igot effected by this movie but not emotionally. i didn't cried or gotmuch emotional in some scenes of their sufferings. this is an epicmovie with a slow paced plot. i liked it. and so will you.

nat-horne

22 May 2012

Not the kind of special weve come to expect from Peter Weir, but still a great flick

My top 10 list is sure gonna be hard to make this year. There have somany great-but-not-GREAT movies this year and The Way Back is one ofthem. Don't get me wrong, it is an excellent film but the screenplayisn't quite as good or interesting as it has been in some of Weir'sother movies. Not that that stops Weir from directing this film in themasterful manner that he usually shows, seriously, I think he is one ofthe few directors in film history who can "do anything" if that makessense because despite any flaws this film may have, it is a beautifulpiece of work and if DP Russell Boyd doesn't get an Oscar nom theneyebrows will be raised. The acting is as reliably good as we've cometo expect from the cast (I still can't believe that Saoirse Ronan isONLY 16 with the number of great roles she has on her CV) with theexception of Colin Farrell, who is absolutely fantastic as the violentRussian criminal whose "skills" the other escapees may come to need.With this and In Bruges, his transition from Hollywood bad-boy torespectable actor is complete, the performance is Oscar-nominationworthy at least and he stands out to the point where it is weaker insections without his character. Some critics have labeled The Way Backa disappointment and whilst I can see why, its still matches a lot ofthe other beloved films this year for quality and I hope it isn'tcompletely ignored come January 25th.

paudie

22 May 2012

Decent rather than outstanding drama

It's a mark of the quality of Peter Weir's work to date that you expectsomething special when you are going to see one of his movies. Perhapsthis is the reason I felt slightly disappointed with "The Way Back".It is a good movie that tells a inspiring story based on actual events.During World War II a group of men escape from a Siberian camp forpolitical prisoners and trek on foot for thousands of miles to freedom.This story is told perfectly well by Weir. There is greatcinematography in a varied series of landscapes and some harrowingscenes both before and after the escape. However the movie didn't staywith me for any time after seeing it.There is a high quality cast, featuring Ed Harris, Colin Farrell andSaoirse Ronan.I'd describe "The Way Back" as a well-made drama that is worth seeingon DVD rather than arranging babysitters etc for a trip to the cinema.

21 May 2012

Peter Weir excels at transporting viewers to another time and place

Judge Steve Power, DVD Verdict -- "Survival films don't come along all that often. The concept of Man vs. Nature doesn't seem to be as easy a sell as it once was, as is evidenced by the relative box office obscurity of THE WAY BACK. And that's a sad thing. We just don't see films this wonderfully and carefully constructed anymore, and the narrative is such that audiences turned off by the usual Hollywood idioms could very easily find something to love in this one. Debate rages over the authenticity of the story which inspired the film, but it's presented in such harrowing, lush fashion that one can't help but become invested. Simply put, THE WAY BACK is just flat out phenomenal storytelling. Miss this and you miss one of the very best films of 2010, and quite simply the single greatest film about survival against the forces of nature I've ever seen."

mm-39

20 May 2012

Worth seeing!

Worth seeing! A great story, which makes for an interesting movie. Thestory alone is worth watching the movie. I would believe the book isprobably better. Strong acting, and quick paced directing make for anentertaining movie with no slow spots. For a long movie to be craftedwell the movie needs great character development. The walking journeywith the interaction of characters creates character development wherethe viewer share the experiences and sympathizes with the escapees. Iwould give the film The Way Back 7 out of 10. It sure must have beencold on that journey. It is -40 here in Canada and we went to a mallwith indoor parking to avoid the cold. I would hate to walk outside for3 weeks in this weather.

20 May 2012

Painful - Id rather be at the dentist

I loved the book, but this movie was painfully slow. The suspense of the book was not present. So muck talent, but the movie did not live up to my expectations. Wonderful performances, but either the director and/or the editor failed miserably.

ihrtfilms

20 May 2012

Epic, but far from engrossing

As war begins to rage in Europe and Poland is split between Germany andRussia, a young Polish man finds himself in a Gulag in Siberia insqualid conditions among a motley group of men from variousbackgrounds. Conditions are horrific, made worse by the harsh winterweather and life is made even worse if you are chosen to work in themines. One inmate declares he knows a gap in the fence and a group ofinmates decide under the cover of a winter storm to make a run for it.They manage to get away, far into the surrounding forest as theblizzard rages around them. But being free of the Gulag doesn't meantotal freedom, not only do they have to fight the elements, but thereare wolves as well a bounty given to locals if they capture runawaysand somehow of course they have to get out of Russia.The men make their way south, with the idea of getting to China. It's along way, through the frozen lands of Siberia and along the way one ofthem succumbs to the elements. Further south, they pick up a youngwoman, another runaway Pole and on reaching Mongolia they discover thatCommunism has taken hold there, meaning safety is not guaranteed,leaving them the only option to cross the Gobi desert and make theirway to Tibet and over to India.This film by Peter Weir is based on the 'true story' - although that'sbeen debunked- and it's an epic tale. The journey is huge, yet somehowfor most of the group they will endure anything to survive and get backto those they love. It should be an engrossing story, but it reallydoesn't manage to maintain interest. For starters this mammoth trekfeels like a mammoth (cinema) trek, which goes on far too long; I foundmyself not wanting them to reach safety for themselves, but for me as Icouldn't wait for the film to end. Also, it's difficult to relate tothese people, some are criminals, some are viewed as criminals byothers, but we rarely get to know more about these people other than afew snippets gathered (conveniently) by the woman. Because of this it'sdifficult to find an emotional connection to these people who by allaccounts are going through a huge life altering journey.It's a shame as it really should be an engrossing story, but it allfeels very formulaic in it's presentation and while performances areokay, with actors playing various nationalities and there's anabundance of accents (and surprisingly all the characters speak fluentEnglish!), the film just drags towards the end and it's main redeemingfeature is the glorious variety of landscapes that fill the screen.More of my reviews at my site iheartfilms.weebly.com

Warrior

19 May 2012

Based on a true Story

An incredible story by Slavomir Rawicz. What prompted the story was a rumor to a British paper, that was doing a series on the Yeti, of a man who had actually see one.A reporter was dispatched to interview Rawicz. He soon found that Rawicz and his band had indeed seen a Yeti but this was just a chapter to this story. The final product - a book entitled "The Long Walk". I was introduced to the book back in the early '70s and it was the first book I could not put down.From Amazon: "Cavalry officer Slavomir Rawicz was captured by the Red Army in 1939 during the German-Soviet partition of Poland and was sent to the Siberian Gulag along with other captive Poles, Finns, Ukranians, Czechs, Greeks, and even a few English, French, and American unfortunates who had been caught up in the fighting. A year later, he and six comrades from various countries escaped from a labor camp in Yakutsk and made their way, on foot, thousands of miles south to British India, where Rawicz reenlisted in the Polish army and fought against the Germans. The Long Walk recounts that adventure, which is surely one of the most curious treks in history. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title."Now, the movie "The Way Back". I can't wait to see it!

markymark70

18 May 2012

A long walk would be better for you than watching this...

I watched this with only a basic understanding of what the backgroundwas to the story. Also - I did not know previously that it was PeterWeir's first film for 7 years. He should have stayed where he was.The premise of the story is an extraordinary one - a group of prisonersescape from a Siberian Gulag during the second world war and manage towalk all the way to India. Amazing stuff - especially as it is supposedto be true. However, the articulation of this story left medisappointed.The opening credits tell you the entire story from start to finishthrough the use of a couple of sentences. Because of this - the wholedynamic of 'what will happen next?' is taken from the viewer, as wealready know the end. Anyway - that disappointment aside - the story starts off well enoughand a strong early performance from Mark Strong augers well. Then what?The escape happens - off screen - and no more Strong. Things then seemto take the repetitive, undramatic route as we embark on our looooooongjourney. Essentially the weak story goes like this: - escape Gulag -start walking through Siberia - encounter hardships - somebody dies -start walking through Mongolia - encounter hardships - somebody dies -start walking through China, Tibet....etc etc. you get the pictureuntil we end up in India. And that's it !!! I ask myself - "So what?"The characters are one dimensional at best. I got to the stage where Icouldn't tell one from the other. And as for the Polish / Russianaccents. They may be authentic - I don't know - but the fact that I seetwo Irish actors (Farrell and Ronan) with strange accents didn't helpmatters.Acting: Farrell is good here to be honest. He carries that menace andunpredictability around with him with great aplomb. His accent thoughsullies it for me. Harris and Ronan are okay too. However, Burgessdidn't do it for me. His presence, or lack of it, let the film down Ifear. But he is new enough to this game so it might get better for him- if he gets another chance.Photography: As you would expect - the landscape dominates the storyand is captured beautifully.Overall - watching the film was just as much of an endurance test asthe walk itself. And the rushed ending twee to the extreme.Poor - 5/10.

Misubi

16 May 2012

The journey is the star.

Peter Weir depicts the story of a small group of people as theystruggle against nature, oppression, and their own frailties. As theirstrength dwindles their reasons to go on must sustain them. Will theybe enough? The Way Back takes as it's subject our very will to live. And examinesit in the most beautiful and extreme of settings: Each character beingtested to their physical, psychological, and (in one case) spiritualbreaking point. In this movie you will feel the characters' pain and cold, their fearand doubt, their wonder, and their hope. But it is the journey, not thecharacters, or the scenery that is the star of this show. This movie will leave it's mark on you.

Art

16 May 2012

An Instant Classic

A film with beautiful scenery, great acting, and an epic storyline. The Way Back is a true story of a Pole, American, and two others who survive a grueling journey from Siberia to freedom. Highly recommended for any audience, young and old.

altriasellscancer

16 May 2012

Amazing journey but did this really happen?

It is amazing that this group of people walked so far, first throughSiberia during winter, then the Gobi desert, and finally the Himalayas.And the things they had to eat and drink along the way to survive likemuddy water. I felt the part about crossing the Himalayas was rushed atthe end. The movie spent so much time showing their travels in Siberiaand the desert, but so little time showing how they crossed theHimalayas. It would seem to me that crossing the Himalayas would'vebeen the most difficult part. This movie could've easily been stretchedout to 2.5 hours.The movie claims to be inspired by real events, but there seems to bequestions about whether the book it was based on was accurate. Also,the cover photo for this movie shows Colin Farrel with the desert inthe background. Ahh ... this is extremely misleading because(**SPOILER**) his character was only in the first half of the movie andnever actually made it to the desert.

16 May 2012

A horrible companion to an outstanding true story

I was very excited to hear that "The Long Walk" was destined to be a movie. The book recounts the true story of a Polish cavalry officer who, like thousands of other innocent people, was wrongly imprisoned in Siberia. Unlike so many others Rawicz was able to escape the camp with a few other prisoners and literally walk thousands of kilometers to freedom. He did so with the help of his fellow prisoners, the camp commander and his wife, and an extraordinary amount of luck. He spent a year in the camp before his escape and was able to survive the long walk by luck, ingenuity, the help of his friends, and the amazing hospitality of the Tibetan people. His story is nothing short of extraordinary. The movie was unable to capture much of his miraculous story through glaring omissions and fictional characters. I do not understand why pivotal portions of the story were corrupted in the movie, fictional characters were added to the story, and major sources of life-saving support omitted completely. The only truth in the movie was an escape, a walk through Siberia, Mongolia, China, Tibet, and India with several fellow prisoners, and an eventual rescue. There was never any mention that Rawicz rejoined the Polish Army to fight in the war, survived the war, moved to England, remarried and had children. Peter Weir had the chance to tell an extraordinary story about the desire to survive, a triumph of the human spirit in the spirit of Shackleton and Forrell. He failed and did so miserably. I am glad that Rawicz did not see this terrible film. I encourage all to actually read his story, understand the hell he went through at the hands of Russian intelligence, the harrowing train ride and walk to the labor camp in the middle of a Siberian winter, and his his escape and trek to freedom. Forrell, a German soldier is another example of a lost soul remanded to a Siberian labor camp who, after his escape, walked through Siberia to freedom. Rawicz and Forrell were extraordinary men and deserve for people to read their stories and remember what they endured. At least the movie about Forrell, based on his story "As Far As My Feet Will Carry Me", was relatively well done and is also worth the time to watch. Read the books though; you will be amazed.

dragosiulian

15 May 2012

Truly disappointing

I had high expectations for this movie, given the reviews and thetrailer. I was throughly disappointed: the story is not credible, thecharacters are under developed, the ending is cheesier than a swissfondue. ** SPOILERI know it's (supposedly) based on true facts, but how am I expected tobelieve that all through their escape a guy carries several sheets ofpaper and a pencil, and draws all the time? That they cross theHimalayas in the middle of winter (the movie spends an entire 2 minuteson this feast).. That in the first 10 minutes in the Gulag the maincharacter makes a friend that trusts him to try an escape -- who alsotells him some people are informers? And I could go on.. ** END SPOILEREd Harris delivers a solid performance, and together with the sceneryis the only thing that somewhat saves the movie. I saw the movie with a group of friends, and we all agreed on thesepoints (so it's not just me).Save your money and rent it, watch it at home if you can't livewithout. But believe me, you can.

14 May 2012

As far as our feet will carry us

Now that films about Soviet injustices following the second world war are finally starting to trickle into the public consciousness following decades of films solely concentrating on the Axis powers, it is fulfilling that such a film was finally created in English for all those who shy away from subtitled efforts. Put simply, this well-executed film based on the memoir by Red Army imprisoned Slavomir Rawicz is very much reminiscent of "As Far as My Feet Will Carry Me" (see my review), but follows a group of Soviet labor camp escapees rather than a single individual, and so much of the plot involves relationships within the band rather than the individual psychological hardships depicted in the earlier film. Some of the melodrama that surfaces in the earlier film is also absent here, although I was not particularly fond of the roles played by actors such as Colin Farrell and Ed Harris, who presumably were cast to appeal to a broader viewer audience, although if doing so prompts more interest in this story it was probably worth the sacrifice. As I mentioned in my other review, the scenes of Soviet labor camp survivors traveling through the Siberian wilderness caused me to ponder the plight of the Donauschwabens in my own immediate family (descendants of Germans who had immigrated to an area that was later Yugoslavia, far removed from the political climate of the time who shared similar fates following the war due to their ethnicity), and the last segment of this film, involving some of the best closing scenes of all time, will be especially emotional to anyone who shares such a similar family history, and is one of the many reasons I will proselytize "The Way Back".