Nicholas Dease: The Way

Themes in The Way

Of all the themes and film techniques presented in Emilio Estevez’s film, The Way, one sentiment that particularly stood out to me was the non-religious, or more apt, the “non-denominational” aspects of the journey. Despite the inherent nature of the pilgrimage, the film was quite welcoming to all spiritual dispositions, including those who do not adhere to any standard of religious belief at all. This begs the question as to whether the film actually portrays a religious journey and, to this extent; I think the term “religious” is a misleading one. Clearly, the narrative takes place on a Catholic pilgrimage route and many of the travelers are Christian; the recurring priest being one such example. However, I prefer the signifier, spiritual, as nearly every scene in the film does resonate with spiritual significance. In spite of this, the narrative does not hammer doctrine into the mind of the viewer. Instead, it allows one to silently make the journey with the characters and interpret the value of the events for themselves.

To this extent, “the journey” becomes the most emphasized element in the film. All of the characters start the Camino for various profane reasons, but it is revealed in the end that each needed the journey to reassess themselves, their lives, and their existential place in existence. At the beginning of the film, a flashback recalls Daniel in an argument with his father about what to do with one's life. Daniel tells his father that you don't choose a life, but rather, you live it. This sentiment is echoed in the metaphor of the journey. Life, like the Camino, is an adventure and we all experience it together. Often times, we, like Tom, get caught up in the machinations of day-to-day life and we forget what is really important to us. Furthermore, this obsession with our station in society even result in our adopting an identity we do not want.

The Camino thus represents a return to nature and therefore a return to the basic. It provides a space and a time where one may re-asses their identity and address the difficulties in life that the day-to-day had previously kept away from attention. In essence, it is an opportunity for one to make peace with their existence. Ultimately, this quality has always been attractive to me. The thought that I could at once leave society to make such a journey is one of the only things that allows me to function within it! Like many, I have a tendency to become so attached to my work and the consequences of it that I'm often in a perpetual state of nervousness. Frequently, daydreaming that I could one day cast off my bonds to society in order to commune with the basic has always granted me a reprieve so that I may return with renewed vigor.

Overall, I identified with all of the characters in the film and even though it only allowed a fragment of the “Camino” experience, I would recommend its viewing to all.