Peter Weir’s The Way Back reminds us of something that has been unfortunately neglected in American film: the incredible human tragedy of 20th century communism. Here we see the stupid cruelty of the Soviet state, the slave labor of the Siberian gulag, and finally an attempt to escape on foot to India. This is a quality production whose libertarian themes are unambiguous and unapologetic. Furthermore, the cinematography is beautiful, capturing the harsh landscape of central Asia in a way no Western film of which I’m aware has ever done. Acting is solid. Editing is top-notch. Highly recommended.