The Way Back: The Gulag + Lots of Walking

Rating: 6/10 (28 March 2018)

A rather entertaining film that follows a group's near impossible escape from the Soviet Gulag system. It's quite miserable throughout the film as the characters face very harsh conditions while sustaining on little to no food. I shed a tear or two when members of the group were slowly picked off by starvation and dehydration, but in all honestly I require very little characterization to become attached to characters, and this film had just enough to allow me to connect with the scraggly escapees. It's a very simple plot line, but I think the film peaked my interest most within the first 30 minutes where it showed the lethality of Gulag life. I found it especially interesting in the way it portrays the relationship between political and criminal detainees, and how the professional criminals had so much power over the lives of other campmates. I enjoyed watching, although I can't be certain how much I gained from the experience.