The Way moves both the heart and the soul with its deeply spiritual exploration into grief and pilgrimage.
The Camino de Santiago is a pilgrimage taken by people world over for religious and non-religious reasons alike. Stretching over 800 km from the edge of France and across the Spanish coastline, the Camino path ends at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, where it is said the remains of St. James the Apostle is buried.
On this path is where The Way takes place. Based upon Jack Hitt’s novel “Off the Road”, the film is adapted and directed by Emilio Estevez who with every feature film goes from strength to strength, proving to be a filmmaker worth anticipating.
Perhaps it’s in the genes? His father after all is the legendary Martin Sheen, star of classics Badlands and Apocalypse Now who at the age of 72 Sheen has delivered one of his best performances in The Way.
He stars as Tom Avery, an American doctor who is startled when informed his estranged son (suitably played by Extevez) has died while walking the Camino. Tom travels to France and continues his son’s pilgrimage, mourning his loss while spreading his son’s ashes along the way.
While doing so Tom meets other pilgrims who have their own demons to exorcise. There is an overweight Dutchman (Yorick van Wageningen), an angry Canadian (Deborah Kara Unger) and a writer’s block suffering Irishman (James Nesbitt). At times this group with their individual eccentricities remind of Dorothy and her friends walking the yellow brick road to Oz.
Yet their destination is not only a place of bricks and mortar, it is also a place of personal and spiritual resonance. When Sheen’s character begins his journey he is heartbroken, angry and stubborn in his lapsed Catholicism. When he ends it not only has he come to terms with the loss of his son, but he has also re-established his relationship with God through his Catholic Christianity.
No doubt the breathtaking scenery along the way played its part. Estevez allows time to soak in the sights of every village, town and stretch of land passed during this journey that it will prompt many to call their travel agent. However, Esteves’ one too many segways into montages of our weary travellers walking to the sounds of an acoustic guitar ditty, does irritate.
Despite that gripe, Estevez has created quite the moving film that holds much spiritual and religious experience, and touches the heart and the soul. |