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"The Way Back" is Bullshit

post #1 of 11
1/24/11 at 10:37pm
Thread Starter 
Went to see "The Way Back" and then after doing even just a small amount of research, I have concluded that not only the movie, but the entire story is bullshit. There is no way these guys could have survived a journey of this duration under these conditions. On this basis and after reading some similar reviews of the book, I am not going to read the book. Also as far as the movie goes, in addition to being terminally boring (it makes "The Road" look hilarious by comparison), the physical appearance of the actors is ridiculous. If the producers wanted to make this even remotely realistic, the actors should have been forced to starve themselves, much like Christian Bale did for "The Machinist" or even Tom Hanks did for (can't remember the title; played Fed Ex guy stranded on an island). These guys are way too robust looking. Only Colin Farrell did a job of dropping some weight and Ed Harris looks a little gaunt but he always does. Overall, the movie is a bunch of horseshit, period.
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post #2 of 11
1/24/11 at 11:16pm
I agree that the movie was decidedly tedious. I also found the thick East European accents hard to understand, and it was hard to tell several of the principal characters apart for quite a while. It is well known that Slavomir Racwiz, the author of The Long Walk, was exposed as a fraud, and the book is essentially a work of fiction. Some might find its credibility impeached by Racwiz's claim that he and his companions saw a pair of Yetis while crossing the Himalayas. However, it is true that three Polish guys did turn up in India claiming to have escaped from the Siberian Gulag, and it is thought the Racwiz may have gotten the idea from perusing the unpublished account of one of these men while serving in the Polish Army in exile during WWII. There was a lot of spectacular scenery in the movie, however.
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post #3 of 11
1/25/11 at 12:51am
Damn. Saw the ad last night and was considering checking it out oneday. Will catch on OnDemand. Thanks!
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post #4 of 11
1/25/11 at 1:46am
Really want to see this movie, but it's not playing in my area. Big fan of Peter Weir.
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post #5 of 11
1/25/11 at 5:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by JLibourel View Post

It is well known that Slavomir Racwiz, the author of The Long Walk, was exposed as a fraud, and the book is essentially a work of fiction.

Is it really well known that he's a fraud? I read the Wikipedia page on him, and the big issue there is that his claims are not backed up by Soviet records. I wonder how truthful/accurate such records are.

I'd like to believe Racwiz was telling the truth.

Another similar movie is As Far as My Feet Will Carry Me, about a German POW.
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post #6 of 11
1/25/11 at 11:56pm
Long before the Soviet records were known, some of the geographical details were highly questionable.

For example Racwiz and his companions would had to have crossed the highway to Urumqi. They no doubt could have gotten a ride in the back of a truck to that city and so reached safety with far less effort and hardship.
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post #7 of 11
1/26/11 at 1:09am
Do they see yeti in the movie? Because its a big part of why the story became famous in the first place.
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post #8 of 11
1/26/11 at 3:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by JLibourel View Post
Long before the Soviet records were known, some of the geographical details were highly questionable.

For example Racwiz and his companions would had to have crossed the highway to Urumqi. They no doubt could have gotten a ride in the back of a truck to that city and so reached safety with far less effort and hardship.

Next, you're probably going to try to convince me that there isn't a Santa Claus.

I was happier when I believed it was all a true story.
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post #9 of 11
1/26/11 at 5:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by xander_horst View Post
Do they see yeti in the movie? Because its a big part of why the story became famous in the first place.

Nope, I was kind of disappointed as well. However, the movie doesn't purport to be a faithful re-telling of Racwiz's adventure story.
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post #10 of 11
1/27/11 at 3:11am
Well, if there's no yeti, I won't waste my time.
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post #11 of 11
1/27/11 at 3:33am
I thought it was far better than the glut of recent releases, if a little slow at times.
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