In 1941, a group of men from various countries and personal backgrounds makes a daring escape from a Russian gulag during the height of the Soviet Union’s brutal and inhumane rise to power as a Communist powerhouse. This rag tag group of men traveled more than 4,000 miles by foot across the most rugged and harsh landscapes; across the bitter cold of Siberia, through the endless desert and finally across the Himalayan mountains, to reach their freedom, defined differently by each man. Three men survived this awesome trek. THE WAY BACK is inspired by these real events.
Writer/director Peter Weir (THE TRUMAN SHOW, DEAD POET’S SOCIETY) brings us THE WAY BACK, one story of a less-familiar part of history from the WWII era, whereas the cruelty of Stalin’s Communist Soviet empire was greatly overshadowed by Hitler’s Nazi Germany. Innocent men, both young and old, were sentenced to as much as 25 years in filthy, ramshackle gulags — or prisons — for as little as speaking negatively about the Communist party, participating in religion or the arts, or for merely being a foreigner.
THE WAY BACK makes a stellar first impression, featuring a cast including Ed Harris, Jim Sturgess, Saoirse Ronan, and Colin Farrell. Ed Harris (APPALOOSA, GONE BABY GONE) plays an American engineer who goes by the name Mr. Smith, determined to escape and survive as a way of self-punishment. Jim Sturgess (HEARTLESS, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE) plays Janusz, a polish man betrayed by his own wife, determined to return home to his wife someday. Colin Farrell (CRAZY HEART, IN BRUGES) plays Valka, a Russian career criminal who serves a utilitarian purpose for the first leg of their journey to freedom.
All three actors deliver fine performances, but I especially enjoyed watching Farrell take on a somewhat animated but realistic Russian criminal. Personally, my top praise goes to Saoirse Ronan (HANNA, THE LOVELY BONES) who plays Irena, a polish teenage girl who fled the Communist takeover of Poland. Ronan continues to prove she is a major star in the making; she gives a compelling performance as Irena, a girl with more heart and drive than she can bare. Among the multi-national cast, its also worth mentioning Mark Strong (SHERLOCK HOLMES, ROBIN HOOD) who plays the motion picture actor Khabarov; a role that is brief but well portrayed.
The landscapes play a major role in THE WAY BACK. In the beginning of the film, an authority of the gulag explains to his prisoners how the true prison is not the guards, dogs and barbed wire, but rather the Siberian land itself… all 5 million square miles of the rugged, snow-covered country and it’s below zero extreme temperatures. In keeping with that powerful notion, Weir focuses his camera greatly on the vast and uninviting terrains in which the characters must cross by foot, with little to no water or food, and only their desire for freedom and each other to keep them alive.
THE WAY BACK (2010) is 133-minutes in length, but the pace allows the film to move along at a slightly more comfortable rate. I did not find myself checking the time or yawning at any point in the film, keeping my attention and interest; keeping my hopes for the characters up and my anticipation to see who survives the journey on a level equal to the average reality TV junkie’s. Ultimately, this is a film about human nature and our drive to survive and be free, no matter what the cost or obstacle standing before us, we’ll always find a way… or die trying.
THE WAY BACK Blu-Ray and DVD were released on April 19th, 2011.
Blu-Ray Special Features:
- Behind-the-Scenes Featurette, “The Journey of the Journey”
- THE WAY BACK Trailer
- Trailers for THE RESIDENT and EVERY DAY
The special feature on this blu-ray disc are minimal, primarily consisting of the featurette titled “The Journey of the Journey.” This featurette contains a fair amount of actual behind-the-scenes footage, notably most interesting is how they constructed a forest in a sound stage which ultimately was used far more than the director has anticipated. The featurette does, however, contain a load of interview time with not just director Peter Weir, but also with the stars, including but not limited to Ed Harris, Colin Farrell, Jim Sturgess and Saoirse Ronan. These cast interviews offer an array of intimate perspectives on the history that inspired this film.
Otherwise, you’ll get a trailer for THE WAY BACK included in the special features and two trailers at the head of the film for THE RESIDENT and EVERY DAY, the first of which is somewhat forgettable and the second boasting another sizable cast of recognizable talent. The video transfer for THE WAY BACK, presented in 1080p High-Definition, suits the film, laden with landscapes and environmental textures. The audio within the film is mostly peaceful and serene, maintaining a consistent level, presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1/Dolby Digital Stereo. THE WAY BACK blu-ray comes packaged in the standard translucent blue plastic keep case.
