Dull Metaphor for the Cold War

Rating: 3/10 (27 December 2010)

This film is a big disappointment. There are some decent acting performances but the actors are let down by leaden dialogues and the requirement to deliver their lines in crudely accented English. The long trek itself was lacking in drama and rather implausible. There is very little detail of the survival techniques employed by the group and it is difficult to see how they crossed huge deserts with virtually no food or water. It is also difficult to imagine that the group crossed a huge continent at war with virtually no hindrance from other human beings. The sets are a clumsy mixture of natural and studio settings with a sprinkling of CGIs. The camera work and music are routine. By the end is clear that the long escape from the Gulag is a crude metaphor for the Cold War with Ed Harris representing America's unwavering support for the long struggle of eastern Europe to be free. Far too long and very dull.