Impressive but no Weir masterpiece

Rating: 7/10 (19 March 2012)

I awaited this movie with great expectations as I am a fan of Peter Weir and of mid 20th c. historical adventures. I also loved Seven Years in Tibet which had a similar setting. Having said all the above, I have to admit that this latest 'epic' by Peter Weir (based on the "Long Walk") has left me wanting. This has nothing to do with the actors, most of which are at least as good as the story. I found Ed Harris top-notch, as usual, Colin Farrell, Saoirse Ronan and the less known Dragos Bucur very good with the remainder of the cast believable to adequate. The visuals also left nothing to be desired with stunning vistas of the 'Asian' hinterland (although filmed elsewhere). Nor was I bothered by the limited and mostly pedestrian dialogue, especially after Farrell falls silent because, as one of the escapees puts it: Ghulag inmates refrained from chatting...So, what is it that failed to please? First of all, in the opening chapter in Siberia, I found the make-up of the actors and their overall appearance poorly done. After "Shindler's List" and a host of other movies about gulags, stalags and Jewish survival stories, the actors in this one never seemed convincing as gaunt, under-nourished, ex-bourgeoisie dying of exposure. Second, the trek. This was obviously linear, as was the authentic trek, but there was always something of a TV series about each segment/trial. David Lean managed to make a visual trek (always less empathetic than a written narrative) truly epic. Weir fails miserably to do the same and I don't know why. The trekkers reach almost the end of their tether at some point in the movie, but I never felt the extreme sun heat (David Lean's "anvil" in Arabia) and dehydration, just as I had not felt the debilitating icy gale in the Siberian woodland. Overall, not an inspiring movie despite the enormity of the main characters' undertaking. All the elements are there but there is no magic to dress the whole.