Deliberately slow and meandering, but an effective story on human endurance.
Based off a true story, Raynor and Moth Winn trek one of the longest countryside paths in England after losing their home and Moth’s terminal diagnosis.
Produced by the BBC and directed by Marianne Elliott, adapted from the journal “The Salt Path” written by Raynor Winn. Winn herself was on the production team for the film also. Starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs in the lead roles, the movie is a simple but effective experience. Not as harrowing as one might expect; it is instead infused with hope.
That said, it does start off intensely: a brief look at the future with Raynor and Moth at risk of losing their tent. With it, what little hope they have left.
Marianne Elliott first cinematic picture, but has a lot of experience directing London Theatre productions. Warhorse being one of them. She focusses here in capturing quiet emotional moments, and the vistas of southern coastal England. It is a frank and no-frills piece of film-making. The film doesn’t bombarded with fraught escalations, blistering arguments, or fast-paced editing. This is a film about two people, bordering 60 years old, walking the countryside to settle the torrent of their lives. It might not be for everyone, but for those who resonate with it will resonate a lot. Some beautiful locations are shot here.
Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs have impeccable chemistry here. Two older people who have enough history together that one is never phased by the other. They are a pair. Anderson (who I will always have a soft-spot for since The X-Files days) plays the haunted half of the couple. She is trying in vain to keep them going despite everything, while troubled sleep is shadowed by the past. Much of the exposition is in these awakening moments of dread. Isaacs is as kind as he is stubborn in face of his newly-diagnosed illness. The film does not bombard the audience with this gravity constantly, however. In fact there’s levity in abundance here. Be it the peculiar walkers and passers-by they encounter, or their resoundingly British sense of humour. Their unity against adversity is the focus here. Despite everything that’s happening, they find some goodness that powers them forward.
Narratively designed around several vignettes, the film has a wandering nature. Which makes sense as the film’s source is a diary from the couple’s adventure. One minute they are greeted by rabbits, the next minute they are helping a fellow wayward soul. This meandering structure, suitable for the snaking path along the coast, does make the film feel long. Running just shy of two hours, it probably felt over two hours. But if a trial of endurance doesn’t feel arduous, perhaps it isn’t doing things correctly?
To drill down into more of the details, the story is reflective and insightful for the audience. Initially, Moth’s doctor insists he “rest”, and yet here they are walking hundreds of miles in rough terrain. With only a small tent for shelter. Audience members may side with the more callous walkers they meet: that this is reckless. Of course this is going to go wrong for them! Past and present events suggest this is folly. There was even an audible gasp in my audience at certain revelations.
But as the film goes on, and this couple do battle with the elements, a certain wanderlust can occur. The film’s heart lies in the escape of social norms; the ridiculous hamster wheel of modern living. Admittedly, I am not one for camping. But as an audience member who enjoys the outdoors, of finding peace and quiet in nature, this is extremely resonant here. The film depicts “the real world” as hostile, rebuking our characters at every turn. The latticework of bureaucracy that rears its head whenever we need help. I think this is something everyone can relate to; and the Winn’s desire to escape is palpable.
Ultimately, the film is probably not for everyone. It is very slow and quite passive. But it is life-affirming and its sensitive emotional moments are extremely heartfelt. We live in boxes, and often there’s more to life than that.
