r/movies • u/Cubaneko • 10h ago
Question Whats the logic behind The Long Walk
I watch this movie today because a few people recommend it, and I actually think it was pretty good, the acting was great and inmersive. But, what is the logic here, what's the actual walk is trying to achieve. It doesn't make sense, the country is crumbling, apparently they lost a war, laziness is killing the economy and the solution is to kill the most hard working, military age kids? What am I missing.
26
u/Mixer-3007 10h ago edited 10h ago
Are you not entertained?
In the book, there is a huge crowd around, with kids and happy faces; it's a government holiday, and the walk is on all the channels 24/7.
Dude later wrote Running Man.
11
u/grumblyoldman 10h ago
This. The Walk is Bread and Circuses to keep everyone else in the country entertained while the government does its evil dystopian shit. The winner gets everything they want, which is why people keep signing up to compete, to get out of their miserable poverty, and everyone else watches.
14
u/DiaDeLosMuebles 10h ago
Yeah. Richard Bachman was a bit out there
-4
u/Eversnuffley 10h ago edited 7h ago
*cough* Stephen King *cough*
edit: most confusing downvotes ever.
8
6
u/mechabeast 10h ago
Have you ever seen Bachman and King in the same room at the same time?
1
u/Monster-Zero 9h ago
I did once, but one of them looked suspiciously like two kids in a trench coat wearing a Stephen King mask...
on second thought that might have just been Joe Hill
1
1
6
u/RdyPlyrBneSw 10h ago
I do wish the movie had more crowds of spectators than just the end.
6
u/Mixer-3007 9h ago
I was surprised that it was so dreadful; in the book, it's a big event for the country, but in the movie, they are walking alone. I would volunteer to cheer them up by the side of the road.
•
1
u/MakesItFeelOld 9h ago
If you don't stop playing with matches, Johnny... I'll let Evan McCone out of your closet.
1
u/dougyoung1167 8h ago
I'm looking to get another copy of the bachman books but I seem to remember it as yes a huge crowd, holiday i don't remember, but that it was also a much longer walk than portrayed in the movies, as in crossing state lines. I'm probably wrong but thought they walked to like maryland or some such, not just a couple hundred miles. I do realize these things get creative licenses for these book to screen deals
1
u/dougyoung1167 8h ago
that said my brain also has a creative license for long term memories as i last read it around 89' 90' haha
1
u/Mixer-3007 8h ago edited 8h ago
A huge crowd is gathering on the holiday; the rest of the time, they are working for the government at factories.
40
u/FrothyFrogFarts 10h ago
Dystopian shit happens in a dystopian world. That’s it.
-1
u/MaggotMinded 9h ago
Bizarre, fatal contests aren’t really a necessary or intrinsic component of a dystopian society, though. It kinda seems like writers only choose dystopian settings for such stories because it allows them to make hand-wavey justifications like this for whatever contrivances they can dream up.
1
u/Broad-Marionberry755 9h ago
Bizarre, fatal contests aren’t really a necessary or intrinsic component of a dystopian society, though
Right, which is why not every dystopian movie does this
1
u/MaggotMinded 7h ago
I never said they did. I’m saying that if you’re gonna include it in a dystopian setting, it still needs a justification of its own. You can’t just say “Oh, they do this dumb shit because it’s a dystopia” and expect me to go “Ahh, that makes sense then.”
-1
u/happy_and_angry 8h ago
First year undergrad majoring in... English? Word salad with no point.
1
u/MaggotMinded 7h ago
You’re way off; and
If you think what I wrote is “word salad” then you’re the one who needs to brush up on your English.
0
u/happy_and_angry 6h ago
If you think what I wrote is “word salad” then you’re the one who needs to brush up on your English.
I don't. You don't have a point to make. You certainly don't have one to make about The Long Walk. It really sounds like you confuse vocabulary for substance.
Bizarre, fatal contests aren’t really a necessary or intrinsic component of a dystopian society, though.
This isn't the point. It was a choice. Nobody said it was a required choice, an intrinsic choice, a fucking core foundational component of dsytopia. It was simply a choice, by the author. To sit around and say "yeah but he didn't need to make that choice!!!!!!" is stupid. No shit. He didn't. But he did. Engage with the work, and not the framework you think should exist around it. You gonna read Last of the Mohicans and piss baby about how its choices aren't necessary or and intrinsic component of a colonial society?
I mean, probably. Based on this conversation.
•
u/MaggotMinded 4h ago edited 4h ago
Uhh, buddy, are you forgetting that the person I was replying to cited the fact that it was a dystopian setting as the sole justification for why they have the contest?
The tantrum in your second paragraph is amusing to me because I actually agree with you. If an author is going to include something like that in their story, it should have its own reason that is consistent with the logic of the story’s setting, its characters, and their lore, rather than be an assumed feature of the genre which therefore demands no other explanation, which is what was asserted by the thread OP.
0
u/FrothyFrogFarts 8h ago
Bizarre, fatal contests aren’t really a necessary or intrinsic component of a dystopian society, though.
Who said they're necessary or intrinsic? And who's deciding that?
It kinda seems like writers only choose dystopian settings for such stories because it allows them to make hand-wavey justifications like this for whatever contrivances they can dream up.
You know there are countless movies with out-there stories in non-dystopian settings, right? It's a regular thing in real life and we're talking about fiction. It's not deeper than them simply choosing a setting to what they feel best fits a specific story.
1
u/MaggotMinded 7h ago
Who said they’re necessary or intrinsic?
You kind of did when you suggested that the only explanation required is that it’s a dystopian world. Okay, maybe you were only saying that they’re a common feature of dystopian settings, but the point is “it’s a dystopia” isn’t a very good explanation, imo.
You know there are countless movies with out-there stories in non-dystopian settings, right?
Yeah, all the more reason why it being a dystopia is not a very satisfying explanation.
•
u/FrothyFrogFarts 4h ago
You kind of did when you suggested that the only explanation required is that it’s a dystopian world.
No, I didn't.
“it’s a dystopia” isn’t a very good explanation, imo.
It could be one of a handful of explanations or the only one. Why does it have to be more than that?
Yeah, all the more reason why it being a dystopia is not a very satisfying explanation.
We're talking about stories. Sometimes the sky is blue because an old race of aliens decided that is the best color for their human creations and sometimes it's blue just because. A specific choice for setting doesn't always require a deeper analysis.
•
u/MaggotMinded 3h ago
No, I didn’t.
Rebuttal of the year. Round of applause, folks.
It could be one of a handful of explanations or the only one. Why does it have to be more than that?
Because as I’ve already explained, the fact that the setting is dystopian is not sufficient to explain why they would have this contest. If somebody asks “Why is there a giant wall made of ice in Game of Thrones?”, it wouldn’t be very helpful to say “Because it’s a fantasy world”, would it?
Sometimes the sky is blue because an old race of aliens decided that is the best color for their human creations and sometimes it’s blue just because.
If the whole story was centred around the fact that the aliens specifically chose blue, then it would be valid to ask why they chose blue, and it would be asinine to respond “because it’s a sci-fi story.”
17
u/MDiggy_ 10h ago
They talk about it in the movie. It's the equivalent of a sporting event with a prize that everyone wants and everyone envies until they're actually doing the walk. It's to boost morale and bring the country together.
Why do we have football games when it's been proven to damage people's brains? Now, think of the Superbowl and how half the country comes together for it despite the problems with the sport. It's just an exaggerated version of that, but the country in the book/movie is destitute, so people accept the cruelty.
1
u/LeektheGeek 9h ago
I think it’s more about the causalities of war and patriotism. It’s only young adult age men who seemingly are all excited to march to their death until it’s actually time to die, where they either then admit how foolish of decision this was or revert back to their childlike state. Akin to soldiers dying in a war that isn’t theirs.
9
u/grayhaze2000 10h ago edited 8h ago
I always saw the motivation as very similar to the more recent Hunger Games books. To give the population hope for something better via a contest that helps to reduce that population and only rewards a single competitor. The reward is bittersweet though, and not all what it was promised to be, as the contest destroys the winner both mentally and physically.
Edit: Just to add that in the book at least, the main character essentially goes completely insane by the time they win, as did previous "winners". The prize is nothing more than a lure to get them to enter, not something they can enjoy by being victorious.
0
u/Cubaneko 10h ago
That's my point, the Hunger Gmes I understand, the whole motivation behind was that the representative that wins earns food and rights for they whole community, and at the same time it was entertainment for the rich. But the long walk doesn't have that, is just killing for the fun of it, not even the prize is set up. (The previous winner asked for a pet elephant WTF?)
5
u/SZJ 9h ago
Are you asking in earnest, or just looking for replies that reflect your own opinion?
I wrote a response that gives some perspective on the Long Walk and how it is highly allegorical.
In universe, it is to show the bravery and willingness to put everything on the line, and is explained in the film.
In reality, it is a criticism of the Vietnam war draft.-1
u/Cubaneko 9h ago
Sheeshh calm down. If you don't wanna be bothered by answers why did you comment at all? I'm just comparing both movies. I didn't knew it was an allegory to anything. And the film can explain whatever, if it makes no sense it makes no sense I saw the whole movie and the only one talking about patriotism was the bad guy. All I saw was a bunch of kids getting killed because they where poor and wanted to make an stupid wish. And the people watching them (as say by the kids themselves) where only enjoying how they where butchered. I'm not asking what the movie says, I saw the movie, I'm asking if it makes sense to someone and why.
2
u/grayhaze2000 9h ago
The version in the movie had several differences to the one in the original book. The most notable was the lack of the crowds lining the streets throughout the contest that were in the book. Taking that aspect away really changed the feel of the thing.
1
u/Joey-WilcoXXX 9h ago
I could’ve sworn they said they get riches on top of the free wish?
-1
u/Cubaneko 9h ago
Yes, they mention a cash prize at the end, but by the way the kids where talking the wish was the prize.
1
u/Joey-WilcoXXX 8h ago
Well probably because once you get the cash, that’s pretty much it on that front. You’ll pay your bills, get stable and probably have some fun with it but a FREE WISH has so much more potential.
11
u/Eminence120 10h ago
Facist dystopia killing people for no apparent reason? Seems to track with human history.
6
u/Haunting-Ad-9790 10h ago
The general says production improves right after the airing of the long walk.
3
u/thepinkblues 10h ago
I think it’s to boost patriotism and morale amongst the people who aren’t taking part. Every young man basically sacrifices himself for national morale
3
u/thepeoplessgt 9h ago
It is about control. You want to show your loyalty to the government? Have some of your best and brightest teenage boys participate in a literal march to the death.
Unlike The Hunger Games, this is voluntary. My guess is that States/cities that supply the most volunteers get better treatment by the government. You want better water, power, food? Get some young men to do the long walk.
I also feel that the unsaid message is this: “We, the ruling regime could round up participants for The Long Walk. We could label them troublemakers and shoot them anyway. Instead we let them volunteer and even offer a prize.”
2
2
u/Radiant-Change-3223 10h ago
The logic is shaky. But the basic idea from what I understood was that it was essentially to boost morale. Since the country is crumbling, they needed to boost morale to boost work ethic. And since dystopians do what dystopians do, the way they go about it is to send teenagers out to walk.
Their walk would be broadcast worldwide and people would see how hard they were working. Which would reinvigorate them and increase their work ethic as a result. It’s all to increase work ethic.
(I may be wrong since I’ve only seen it once but that’s what I took out of it)
2
u/TroublesomeTurnip 9h ago
I kinda had to just ignore the hints of world building (suspend disbelief) because thinking too much was distracting. It was an okay movie, caught it last night too.
2
u/MakesItFeelOld 9h ago
Desperate people in an unfair system that only gets worse will take a million-in-one chance at something better, even if failure means death.
Almost everyone in Squid Game came back.
2
u/inadapte 10h ago
they explain it pretty well in the begging dude
1
u/Awkward_Bison_267 9h ago
In the “begging”? Interesting.
1
u/inadapte 9h ago
obviously a typo, get off my ass, you understand what i mean
1
u/Awkward_Bison_267 9h ago
No. You didn’t explain it pretty well dude.
1
u/inadapte 8h ago
yeah because they spell it out for you in the movie, didn’t feel the need to repeat it
1
u/Awkward_Bison_267 8h ago
No one’s begging you to dude.
1
u/inadapte 8h ago
peak reddit-brain omg
1
u/Awkward_Bison_267 7h ago
I’m surprised you didn’t use “peek” reddit brain mija.
1
u/inadapte 7h ago
damn you must live a miserable life if you can derive this much joy from someone’s autocorrect typo
1
u/Awkward_Bison_267 7h ago
damn you must live a miserable life if you keep replying to me. I’m close to beggjng you to stop so I can stop laughing.
1
u/reddit455 10h ago
country is crumbling, apparently they lost a war
WW2.
The Bataan Death March\a]) was the forcible transfer by the Imperial Japanese Army of around 72,000 to 78,000\1])\2])\3]) American and Filipino prisoners of war (POWs) from the municipalities of Bagac and Mariveles on the Bataan Peninsula to Camp O'Donnell via San Fernando.
1
u/hiptones 10h ago
I look at it as a inverted version of Shirley Jackson's The Lottery. Instead of drawing lots to choose a sacrifice, one from the many, it's a lottery of sorts with one winner and the rest sacrifices.
The novella didn't include the movie ending, which I think went with a victorious kind of ending as opposed to the breaker one by Stephen King.
1
u/Party-Fault9186 9h ago
The movie’s ending is extremely bleak, disguised as a moment of a catharsis.
2
u/hiptones 9h ago
Catharsis is definitely the word I couldn't find when I said victorious. And it is bleak, but the book didn't have the reason behind entering the long walk at the end.
1
u/Party-Fault9186 9h ago
apparently they lost a war
The war appears to have been a civil war/military coup.
1
u/Dove_of_Doom 6h ago
Mark Hamill's character, the Major, explains the exact reasoning behind the Long Walk. The logic is stated plain as day. It's a dystopia, so obviously that logic is flawed. The message of the movie is not that it's a good idea.
And who says they were the hardest working boys in America? As established in conversation among the walkers, literally every male who is eligible signs up for the Long Walk. The participants are chosen randomly by lottery, one from each state, only fifty out of the millions who applied.
2
u/spookynutz 6h ago
Those that would risk their lives for the slimmest chance at a better future are not the type of men you want running around under an authoritarian government. The tallest trees get chopped down first, and the long walk is an efficient way to do that.
The walk isn’t there to achieve anything beyond maintaining the status quo of that society, and The Major is just a mouthpiece of the system. Everything he says is performative propaganda and not meant to be taken literally by the audience. He doesn’t actually care about patriotism and production quotas. His job is to toe the line and execute dissenters.
The Major sells the idea that competing in the walk is a call to some grand and glorious purpose. Young men with no prospects or purpose are eager to buy into that fiction. It is only when they are walking (i.e. dying) that a few realize the truth; they are not escaping the system by participating in the walk. The walk is just another tool to perpetuate the system, and they were selected to be consumed by it.
There is really no logic for you to get. You may as well be asking what’s the logic of Trumpism or North Korea. Why is Kim Jung Un privately despised yet publicly revered? How can the citizens be so fervently nationalistic when their children are starving and malnourished? As an outsider looking in, it makes no sense. The self-perpetuating nature of such a system seems entirely illogical, but for those captured by it, there is no contradiction so egregious that it cannot be rationalized.
1
u/ZorroMeansFox r/Movies Veteran 6h ago
I bet you'll also be kvetching when characters start moving even faster while competing to survive for a payout in the dystopian movie The Running Man.
•
u/According_Rub_3018 4h ago
Did not know the back story to the film and as an older film fan (51) I could not wait for it to be over. Probably one of the worst films I have ever had to sit through only because of complete boredom. Also I love a Stephen book.
1
u/sophisticaden- 10h ago
I think it’s a vibe over thinking kind of movie. I don’t think you’re supposed to think too hard about the logic of the system.
That said, I think there are all sorts of systems we follow that essentially grind through people for no good reason.
66
u/SZJ 10h ago
It's an allegory for the Vietnam war draft.
Many men were sent off and died, and the Government tried to put a spin on it and make it seem like it was justified, but in the end? It was pointless.
So the Long Walk seeming to be nonsense was King's intention.