Maybe the best movie I watched this year

Rating: 9/10 (9 April 2011)

'Freedom' sounds a regular, effortless word when you think you have ample of it. But when it's taken away from you, or it becomes scarce what would you do to gain it back? You might risk anything or sacrifice anything to die free, as a free soul. 'The Way Back' is the epic true story of such few individuals, who risked their life's in order to become free men, amongst the thousands who never tried under the circumstances and many who died trying.
This wonderful story of human ambition and its remarkable representation as a movie is one of a kind. Lasting 15 mts longer than two hours it will grab your attention so deeply that you might feel glad of the freedom what you have and will determine to cherish it as long as possible.
The movie is about a set of escapees from a Siberian prison (known as a Gulag) in 1940s. Having a solid plan to reach Mongolia passing the Baikal Lake they set foot on unknown territory, beaten up by weather and hunger and challenges unforeseen. Miraculously surviving a horrific and tedious walk across 4000 miles over jungles, mountains, deserts and wastelands they reach India. Challenged by snow, sand, water and what not, this larger-than-life journey is purely an impossible task even for the modern man but they conquer their fears, exhaustion and pains just to taste the sweetness of freedom.
Main leads played by Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris & Collin Farrell this movie is not a walk in the park to perform in. Filmed in challenging environments in Bulgaria, Morocco and India it sure does bring out the best in each role. Very well played by others too which is not mentioned above, 'The Way Back' is a well acted movie. And it will be a grave mistake if I forgot to mention how striking the makeup department was. They make you feel thirsty in the deserts and cold in the winters by making the actors suite to fit the scenes by their looks. Wonderful job on that I must mention and it got a nomination for Oscars as well.
Cinematography is very impressive as well. Scene after scene the story unfolds in landscapes which is a bliss to see in national geography style, but in the same time give the viewer the sense of hardship embedded in each territory. It is quite arduous of me even to explain this journey let alone to do it in real. But maybe the score does a god job at it.
Skillful direction by Peter Weir has indeed made this movie a masterpiece. Having a taste of bringing reality in to movies which happens way back in time he has done it again after the Oscar nominated directing of Master and Commander. 'The Way Back' is not a movie which you must miss even by mistake as such movie crafting is seldom.
Read my reviews at flickshout.blogspot.com