#1 The Way Back

The Way Back (2010)

Director: Peter Weir
Writer: Peter Weir, Keith R. Clarke

Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris, Mark Strong

Based On The Book: "The Long Walk" by Slavomir Rawicz

I wasn't particularly interested in this film but it had an interesting storyline, so i decided to give it a try. A big part of the reason i wanted to watch this was for the lovely Saoirse Ronan, who was incredible in The Lovely Bones (which i absolutely loved) and earned herself an Academy Award nod for her stunning performance in Joe Wright's Atonement back in 2007. She's so beautiful and talented, and i can't wait for Hanna.

Peter Weir, who directed The Truman Show and Master & Commander directs this epic film about survival. I have not heard of him before but people seem to have every high expectations for a film of his.

The film is about prisoners in Russia who escape and walk for a long, long time and a long, long distance to India, to freedom. The story is very inspiring as we examine these people's will to survive and how they long to have the sweet taste of freedom. Colin Farrell plays the adorable (not really) Valka with a very funny accent. Jim playes a spy working for Poland and is put in prison after being betrayed by his wife. Ed plays a tough old man but with a soft heart deep inside. Ronan is the brave young woman who escapes from an orphanage. There are other cute characters that add some humor to the film.

We are shown how these people try to survive in the prison as well as during their long walk, they are really very creative and smart people with a very strong will. They are, of course a few people who don't make it, for example, Irena (T_T). But at least they died a free man (mm-hm, comforting).

The scenery is breathtaking and you smile everytime you see them succeed at something and cringe everytime they are suffering. You know right from the beginning that some of them make it but it's the journey that is the point of the film. I did not fancy Valka staying in his country but it was cute, and the ending where Sturgess' character reconciles with his wife, but that's just my opinion.

Overall, this film has beautiful imagery, a very inspiring message and truly shows us what freedom and willpower really means, as well as telling us that there is nothing more powerful than the will to survive (127 Hours, guys?).

3.5/5