A brilliant cross-continental journey

Rating: 8/10 (5 January 2011)

Unsure of what this film exactly was when walking into the theater, was immediately on the edge of my seat during the very tense betrayal in the opening scene.
The main event of the escape comes early on in the film, and very little detail of the method is given. But the struggle of the "run" from the gulag is well represented in the sheer inability to go on from the cold of the Siberian winter.
Each of the characters are given plausible traits and back-stories. And each factor from heat to cold, hunger and thirst are all shown to contribute to the sheer horror endured by the characters.
The odd humorous form of comedy relief are well placed throughout the film and several characters take the role of the "funny guy" to prevent the film becoming totally miserable.
In all it was a fantastic film and even though much of the real-life story may have been exaggerated, it was a well portrayed time-line on the big screen.