The Gobi Desert, the Himalayas, endless forests and sparse bodies of water populate the harsh landscape between Siberia and India. To seven escaped convicts from a World War II Soviet Gulag camp, the treacherous territory provides immense peril and acts as the sole source of solace in their grief-stricken lives. Writer/director Peter Weir focuses on this duality between human and nature in The Way Back. Based on Slawonir Rawicz's novel The Long Walk, the film presents a motivating tale of determination and camaraderie as a few companions attempt to walk 4,000 miles from Siberia to India.
Jim Sturgess plays protagonist Janusz, determined above all else to reunite with his wife. While Sturgess performs admirably as the lead, Ed Harris and Colin Farrell easily steal the film. Harris takes on the part of an aged American, often serving as a father figure and mentor for Janusz. Farrell, on the other hand, plays Valka, a crazed criminal who could easily pass as half-wolf, half-man. Farrell's performance is easily his best during the past few years, and revitalizes the Irishman's reputation as a skilled and serious actor.
After seven years without directing a movie, Weir (Master and Commander, Dead Poets Society) steps back into his acclaimed career. Although Weir shows his critically acclaimed talent by exquisitely intertwining beautiful landscapes with an epic tale of hardship, his direction is not without flaws. Specifically, Weir does a subpar job juxtaposing a focused storyline for Janusz with the prodigious voyage of the seven convicts. The ending, although emotionally strong, feels somewhat out of place in the context of the rest of the film. Although The Way Back is not Weir's best, it is easily one of the most entertaining films currently in theaters.
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