The Long Walk is great for those who want to watch a film which feels simultaneously dystopian and realistic, but it is also best watched from a blank perspective.
As someone who was looking for a movie which fell into the horror genre and didn’t include any supernatural or demonic elements, my mum recommended The Long Walk after it was released on Amazon Prime Video.
What I thought would be a dramatic film with action and a coming-of-age element turned out to be a psychological masterpiece which delves into themes of propaganda and militarism.
While I won’t actively discuss the ending and major plot points of the film, this review will have slight spoilers, so proceed with caution.
Adapted from Stephen King’s novel of the same name, The Long Walk was directed by Francis Lawrence and details a dystopian competition where 50 young men compete in a walking event where the last one standing wins.
The film covers many themes, the main ones being war, propaganda and national pride, which intertwine to create and illustrate King’s worldview.
The book was initially written as a response to people being drafted for the Vietnam War and how the US military took advantage of young men through propaganda.
The film conveys this very well through the characters’ dialogue. A great example of this is the constant reference to animals, specifically from Stebbins.
The one who behaved most like a soldier, constantly comparing the other walkers to animals, just mirrors that general attitude toward men put up for the draft – they’re not seen as human, but as animals for the slaughter.
Optimism is another recurring theme in The Long Walk and is amplified almost solely through the characterisation of Peter McVries.
Through his dialogue and actions, we as the audience can see that he is a character who looks for the light in darkness and acts as the glue that holds the main characters together, while essentially having nothing himself.
But even at the end, that sense of optimism is challenged, even arguably diminished as the struggle on the Long Walk and the rebellion against the major’s propaganda becomes greater.
The scenery plays an important role in this movie, especially as the main thing the characters do is walk, and the audience’s eyes may tend to drift around to the rest of the scene.
Throughout the film, there is always an air of gloominess about the trail, be it the weather or the dead animals seen as the walk goes on.
This highlights the dark nature of the Long Walk itself, and how the impending sense of despair and doom hangs over the boys.
The weather also reflects the emotions and atmosphere of the scene as the movie progresses.
For example, at the beginning, when the walk starts, the sky is quite clear and bright as the boys are only just beginning and are feeling optimistic, but as the film comes to a close, it is dark and raining heavily, alluding to the hopelessness and loss experienced by all the boys.
However, there is also an element of optimism hinted at through the scenery.
At certain points of the movie, the nature that they are walking through presents its beauty, whether it’s the green grass, wide shots of fields and forests, or the rainbow pointed out by Pete.
This just shows that even in the depressing situation they’re in now, there is always some good somewhere.
This is also reflected through the friendship the boys found and the entire characterisation of Pete, as mentioned before.
Without revealing too much, the ending of The Long Walk left me surprised yet also curious.
In a way, it feels unfulfilling and devastating, whilst also still holding that sliver of hope, similar to the film itself.
The ambiguous conclusion differs drastically from the ending of the novel and leaves it up to the viewer’s interpretation, which I actually think works very well.
This got people to discuss the ending widely online, creating their own theories and looking deeper into the film, which really shows how much it was enjoyed.
If you are someone who likes to watch dystopian movies such as The Hunger Games and enjoys horror elements that seem all too real, then The Long Walk is a film I would recommend to you.
Feature image: Free to use from Unsplash
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