OVP: The Way Back (2010)

Film: The Way Back (2010)
Stars: Jim Sturgess, Colin Farrell, Ed Harris, Saoirse Ronan, Mark Strong
Director: Peter Weir
Oscar History: 1 nomination
Snap Judgment Ranking: 3/5 stars

The films of Peter Weir have long been a part of the Oscar tradition.  With six Oscar nominations himself, and three Best Picture nominees amongst his credits (and one film that was almost certainly in sixth place), he may not have a statue, but his films are most certainly an event of which to take note.  After his Master and Commander received ten nominations, he waited seven years to make another picture, The Way Back.  While it's always good to have a director of distinction behind the camera, I will admit freely that I was a bit disappointed that it didn't hit some of the heights he had previously hit with some of his best-loved pictures.

(Spoilers commence now) The Way Back takes place during the 1940's, where Stalin has imprisoned those who opposed his regime in Siberian work camps, and our main character, Janusz (Sturgess), has been wrongly imprisoned there.  An optimist, and one of great moral character, he first latches onto Khabarov (Strong) a man whom he is certain will be able to get him out, and talks a good game about how to get to Lake Baikal, and then onto Mongolia, where they will be free.

However, Khabarov has been there for years, and is simply using Janusz to feed his delusional hope.  Instead, when Janusz tries to leave, Khabarov resists, and is clearly intent to stay there forever.  So Janusz assembles a set of five other men, including a mysterious American named Mr. Smith (Harris) and a live wire scoundrel, Valka (Farrell), to make the long journey from Siberia, and eventually, as we learn, to India.

Peter Weir's films rely heavily on the subtle, and he's not one to make easy, cliched choices with his movie, and it's worth noting that the film doesn't run into a large number of hackneyed roadblocks that other, lesser directors would throw in for the audience.  For example, while Valka remains true to his seedy ways, he never once betrays the men he is traveling with, and the film doesn't spend time cutting back to the Siberian guards trying to track them down (since, quite frankly, they wouldn't have).  Instead, we are treated to some stunning visuals of this largely untouched-by-man land, and the perils that nature has in-store for our journeymen.

Along the way, they encounter a young girl Irena (Ronan), who, after some resistance from Mr. Smith (who, in one of the few admittedly cliched moments, softens his reserve to her despite an initially crusty reaction), joins their group.  They also learn, at the Mongolian border, that the country has also become Communist, and so the group must travel all the way to India to ensure their freedom.

The film is at its best in the largely wordless, man-encountering-nature scenes.  Despite strong actors like Harris, Ronan, and Farrell, no one seems to be doing terrificly heavy-lifting, acting-wise, even if they are taking on an incredibly physical undertaking.  Like Master and Commander, Weir tries to make the story the focus, but this film doesn't have the inherent gravitas to carry it like that film did (and admittedly, I was less than impressed by Master and Commander to begin with-my favorite Weir film so far is surely The Truman Show).  The movie never quite gets its proper balance, defining its characters' intentions, instead focusing on survival over character development.  It pays off when it needs to (the film is impressive when we encounter a new climate, whether it be taiga, desert, or the majestic Himalayas), but it doesn't give us enough time knowing the characters to make the film's ultimate reunion between Janusz and his wife meaningful.

The film received a sole Oscar nomination (an incredibly low count for an Academy-favorite like Weir), that of Best Makeup.  It's an odd nomination, not because the Makeup isn't fine (it is), but because it's a lot more subtle than the Academy is used to in this category-the Makeup falls largely into the background, and while it shows the slow deterioration of our characters, it also doesn't pop in the way the Academy usually gravitates toward with their fondness for prosthetics and old-age makeup.

And that's a wrap for The Way Back-as I mentioned yesterday, just a handful of films left until we do the big 2010 extravaganza, but in the meantime-what did you think of The Way Back?  Do you have a favorite in the filmography of Peter Weir?  Do you think Weir (or one of his favorites, 4-time nominee Ed Harris) will ever get an Oscar?  And what are your thoughts on the Best Makeup of 2010?