Way Back, The (2010) [Blu-ray]
Adventure-Drama

Tagline: Their escape was just the beginning

Four-time Oscar nominee Ed Harris (Apollo 13), Jim Sturgess (Across The Universe) and Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan (Atonement) and Colin Farrell (In Bruges) star in this epic saga of survival from six-time Oscar-nominee Peter Weir (Witness, Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World). Inspired by an incredible true story, The Way Back begins in 1940 when seven prisoners attempt the impossible: escape from a brutal Siberian gulag. Thus begins a treacherous 4,500-mile trek to freedom across the world's most merciless landscapes. They have little food and few supplies. They don't know or trust each other. But together, they must withstand nature at its most extreme. Their humanity is further tested when they meet a teenage runaway who begs to join them on their quest. A compelling testament to the human spirit, this gripping wilderness adventure is "Peter Weir at his hypnotic best" (Telluride Film Festival).

The story of The Way Back comes from a book The Long Walk by Slawomir Rawicz In The Long Walk (1956) Rawicz describes being arrested, tortured and sent to a Siberian prison camp, after the Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939. He escapes with a group of other polish prisoners and walks south, across Mongolia, the Gobi Desert and the Himalayas, meeting a Polish girl on the way. In the mountains, Rawicz sees two mysterious figures, which he states are yeti. The girl and three of the men die en route, but four of them make it to the safety of British India. The Long Walk has sold more than half a million copies and been translated into 25 languages. Rawicz died in the UK in 2004.

[[CSW] -3.8- I quote "It is a spellbinding account of very disparate characters, united in one goal...to escape from a Siberian gulag during the days leading up to WWII and to reach India...a journey on foot of 4000 miles. The land they traverse and the elements are major characters in the film. Dialogue is sparse, but performances are moving and poetic, especially Ed Harris as a bitter, untrusting loner with many secrets. Gorgeously filmed and great direction by Peter Weir"
[V4.5-A5.0] MPEG-4 AVC - No D-Box.

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