an impossible journey to survive

Rating: Null/10 (6 March 2011)

The Way Back: A story about a bunch of people falsely declared traitors by Stalin's regime taken as prisoners. Some of them decide to runaway and break free. There is a dialogue by Ed Harris to Jim Sturgess(Neil Nitin Mukesh's doppelganger) that he is ready to run from the prison because he can take advantage of one of his weakness and that is kindness. And Jim asks how. and he says that if at any point he falls he knows Jim won't leave him behind and he never does throughout the movie. This group was really a bunch of really decent people ,an artiste , a forgiving husband, a heartbroken father , a comedienne by nature and finally the young toughie-vulnerable-survivor girl who comes later and wins everyone over. The Journey itself is soo sooo tough that I can't believe that someone wouldn't just give up and rather die but that is the strength of our survival instincts. These people born in Russia dealing with the snowstorms dressed in layers of clothing travel through mountains & Lakes, sun stroked- sand stormed -mirage filled deserts in those snow boots with feet swollen to elephantic proportions and skin burned to red-flesh eating anything they could lay hands on and sucking water from drenched piece of clothing staring death in the face. That kind of determination is not only tough to portray but I am sure must have been tough to shoot as well. When the girl dies it really is one of the most horrible deaths I have seen on screen. Finally only 4 of them make it through and reach India where they are welcomed with open arms and hearts..no passports no papers notwithstanding. Thank God for a positive end to this real life story. The end where finally Jim goes back to Polanf to his wife when U.S.S.R was dissolved and meets his wife was icing on top of everything. Again a great triumphant story from history so kudos to the person who went back digging to bring it out on screen. Very fulfilling experience again.