The new film THE LONG WALK had me on the edge of my seat every step of the way.
How so? Well, this tight and tense thriller adapted from the Stephen King novel (under his pseudonym Richard Bachman) concerns a dystopian future where the United States has fallen on depression-level times and to rouse the country and give the little guy hope, the totalitarian government conducts an annual Long Walk to crown one average Joe the winner. That victor then gets to claim whatever he wants for his prize, a well-earned one certainly, as he must best the other young men who will participate in the contest until there is one man standing, er, walking. That’s a lot of walking and indeed, the ‘race’ we watch is punishing. We see their pain, we feel their pain, and we invest in their pain. It’s a tough sit but a very visceral experience of a film.
The protagonist of the story is Ray Garraty (Cooper Hoffman), a cynical young man with nothing to lose. His caring mother (Judy Greer) cries as she drops him off, but he is ready to walk and prove something to himself and the rest of the world. I loved the fact that he’s not all that fit which gives him vulnerability and renders him more of an everyman. Plenty of his competition whom he meets have a taut, athletic look to them, but will their physique be enough for them to reign superior?
Director Francis Lawrence and screenwriter JT Mollner don’t waste any time introducing Ray’s rivals. A few have lines, including Peter McVries (David Jonsson), the young man arriving at the same time as Ray, but by and large the filmmakers vault into the action and let the crux of each character be revealed while they’re walking. The only one who stands out other than the two leads immediately is the antagonist known as the Major (Mark Hamill), a gruff military man who will be shadowing the participants via a couple of army vehicles traveling with them. He’s both referee and cheerleader, always hiding his judging eyes behind ever-present sunglasses.
The rules are fairly straight-forward: keep a minimum pace between 3-4 miles an hour or be warned that you have 30 seconds to get back in stride. That means if one must stop to relieve himself or tie a shoe, he’s got very little time to get his (ahem) shit together. And if they don’t? Well, they’ll be shot dead on the spot as the poster gives away, and it’s never less than brutal each time a gun goes off. Suffice it to say, each competitor removed from the walk hits hard with both his fellow travelers as well as all of us watching this crazy contest. Lawrence always keeps us the camera up close and personal too, making us feel as much a part of it. And the story is crisp and blunt throughout with only a couple of with scant flashbacks to take us out of the action.
As we come to appreciate each milestone – 50 miles, 2 days of walking, etc. – the characters will grow on us too, even the pricklier ones. Lawrence does well with his young cast, and in addition to Hoffman and Jonnson, vivid impressions are made by the likes of Garrett Wareing, Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, and Joshua Odjick. The camaraderie between the young men builds over the days and so does our admiration for the Herculean task they’ve taken upon themselves. The men are desperate, and so are the times. It’s relatable to a lot of what’s going on today in the world, let alone as superb metaphors for Viet Nam, militarized cities, or those allowing themselves to be used as political pawns for personal gain. And as the grueling journey goes on and on, the energy, tension and pace kept up by the filmmakers is as admirable as those on screen participating in the competition.
Some of the book has been changed, but King is a big advocate of this adaptation, and he’s even listed as one of the executive producers for the film. Lawrence’s take is certainly very loyal to the vibe of King’s original prose, if not every plot point, and for a film where the action never exceeds 4.0 miles per hour, don’t be surprised if you’re wrung out and sweating by the end as well. It’s that effective a drama.
