Random and Contrived

Rating: 6/10 (30 December 2011)

During WWII, a group of men escapes a Siberian prison and heads towards the Himalayas. Inexplicably, we are told at the outset that only three will reach their destination. So much for suspense. The 1950s book that the film is based on was presented as factual but has since been proved to be fictional. The plot is too random and contrived to sustain interest. The characters speak multiple languages and subtitles are provided when they are not speaking English. However, through much of the film, the actors (with the exception of Harris) speak English in heavy European accents without subtitles, making it very hard to understand what they are saying.