The Way Back

The nonsensically edited first half, which doesn't let a single scene resonate, battles with the beautifully sprawling second half that pushes the limits of the widescreen camera to the limit. This takes points off Weir's film in the final rating despite the fact that he manages to introduce his characters using only a few words and make you like them without dramatizing the scene in any drastic way; he makes do with great actors, a few frostbite marks, and swollen lips from dryness. (10/13/2011)

Sławomir Rawicz experienced something unimaginable, so I have no problem tolerating his fiction. The post-war generation needed many such stories to survive. After the first war, there was Anastasia, after the second The Way Back. The only problem I have is with the adaptation being too universal and with actors who are too famous. Colin Farrell and Ed Harris? Their faces are simply an obstacle to believable ordinary characters. (01/17/2023)

Director Peter Weir already has a few masterpieces under his belt, but in this case, I really didn't get this film. It's too shallow, and the dialogues are informative so that even an American viewer unfamiliar with Soviet history can follow the plot. Moreover, the characters are black and white, and it's no coincidence that the only truly well-rounded character is the classic Russian criminal played excellently by Colin Farrell, who exudes genuine emotions, animality, and charisma. Unfortunately, the script does not prescribe him a more significant role, and he completely disappears halfway through the film. This subject matter directly called for a series adaptation in six to eight-hour episodes because there simply isn't enough room in this format for the development of characters and the viewer's acceptance of them. Despite the long runtime, many things are rushed through, and the viewer mostly follows a group of refugees walking through the taiga, desert, or high mountains without witnessing the small but characteristic moments, conflicts, and decisions for the survival of the characters. For example, the escape from the gulag is rushed, and many scenes are highly improbable. Escapes from the camps, for understandable reasons, took place during the hot Siberian summer, not in snowy blizzards and at -40°C... Overall impression: 55%. Despite good intentions, watching The Way Back is at times as descriptive and hastily done in its dramatic aspect as the suffering of the refugees themselves. (04/18/2011)

I have a soft spot for Weir, but he’s off the mark here. Actually, I think that it wasn’t reasonable to even try to make a film like this, paradoxically, for the same (or rather, opposite) reason that made me doubt 127 Hours. Whereas in Boyle’s latest, there wasn’t enough story for a feature film, in The Way Back  there is too much and it feels like a bunch of haphazardly cut sections of the story of a much longer film. I can’t say I had fun, or that I feel like watching the extended (complete) version. After those 133 minutes, I felt almost as exhausted as if I had made that trek, which, as someone who likes comfort, is not something I can appreciate. (04/21/2011)

Maybe a little watered down, but The Way Back is worth seeing if only for the wonderful landscapes. Top notch acting performances, Colin Farrell rules as the thief Valka and Saoirse Ronan is one of the most talented young actresses right now (and Irena reminds me of someone I know). Weir is usually a great director, but I think that this didn’t come off one hundred percent. But even so, it’s very high above average. And Dallowitz’s music is delightful. That sweater. Did your granny knit it for you? (04/08/2011)