The Long Walk

Maybe I’m wrong on some sort of technicality but this is the first movie I watched where I read the book before I watched the movie. I never did end up finishing it, though. Mostly cause the title is an apt description. They do walk a lot. I can’t really put into words what I thought of this film. It’s a lot more direct than the book, or the section I do remember reading at least. There’s a whole section about a cute girl that they cut out. Also I’m sure there’s an explanation as to why all the spectators are standing like statues but it still was weird as fuck. This whole setting is weird in its own way. Despite it being bright and sunny, everywhere they go from cities to town feels dead.  Dare I say it feels maybe a little too dead, though. Anyone who isn’t the main character feels like just a prop. Even most of the walkers are just kinda there to die. I’m sure it’s intentional but, without the colorful descriptions and inner monologue of the book, it kind of takes me out of it a little. Nobody’s moving or talking or reacting except the main characters and some of the walkers out of some technicality. It comes from my problem with the book too. It’s a character focused story, so much so that everything else feels like it’s almost an afterthought. Like the world’s most dramatic podcast with a wacky background to justify its existence. The message is clear, crystal clear even, but I just found it’s delivery to not be the best at times, especially with how the major just pulled up and executed some dude in the middle of the street. Does he do this with everyone? Did he have a grudge against that particular guy? I get that it serves to deliver one of the main characters motivations but it’s so out of nowhere and bizarre that it doesn’t make sense if you stop to think about it. Of course none of the characters can really stop, but the audience can. And when I did eventually stop to think about it, I don’t think the story took that into consideration as much as I believe it should have.