How Far Could You Go?
The Long Walk is a dystopian horror novel by Stephen King published in 1979. The story takes place in the United States, run under a totalitarian regime which holds an annual competition in which 50 contestants (one randomly chosen from each state through a lottery system, for which young men become eligible once they turn 16) must walk nonstop. There are no breaks for eating, sleeping, or using the bathroom. All contestants must maintain a speed of at least 4 mph. Those who fall beneath this speed for more than 30 seconds three times will receive their "ticket", a prompt elimination from the competition in which an armed soldier shoots and executes them. The contest continues until there is only one person remaining.
The Long Walk is an allegory for the Vietnam War, and the United States military as a whole. The story was written and published around the time period in which the war was actively going on. And Stephen King was around 18-19 years old when he wrote it, which would have made him around the same age as the subjects of his story.
The novel received a movie adaptation in September of 2025.
The Message:
I'm very pleased with the timing of the release of this movie adaptation. It's an unapologetically anti-war story. Although it shows different attitudes towards war, there is no mistaking where it stands with the brutality that it displays. And the comedic moments lend to show how truly bizarre and cruel the concept of war is in reality. The Major appears to be cartoonishly evil-- like a caricature in a children's movie-- but the things he says are, in fact, not exaggerations.
I think the way this story is told is amazing. Even for pro-war (it feels weird to even say that) or more war-favorable or war-neutral audiences, this movie does not grant them the luxury of a "foreign enemy" for them to villainize, dehumanize, or place the blame upon. The enemy is very clearly the American government. You could blame the boys for "putting themselves in the game in the first place", but I'm very happy that there is no "opposition" from some other region or government or similar source (in the context of this story specifically). It's really them vs. their own government more so than it is them vs. each other. And it forces those more critical audiences to reframe the way they think of the government and military as a whole.
I have a section for more of my general thoughts on the movie here, if you're interested!
The Cinematography:
The shots in this movie are so powerful and evocative. The back lighting of the nighttime scenes is so hauntingly beautiful and intense. This movie makes characters out of the setting(s) and backgrounds. The environments tell a story of themselves. The surroundings can even be beautiful, emphasizing the monotony of having to march on a road that always looks exactly the same. It is unchanging and they are stuck on this path as life carries on around them. They are stuck on this road and if they step off of it, for even one second, they will lose everything.
I talk more about the movie's setting and symbolism right here!
The Characters:
This movie does a really great job of making all of the characters unique and human. They are all very easy to empathize with. Each of the walkers come into The Long Walk with a different plan and attitude. They have different coping mechanisms to deal with it, and each of them is changed by the walk in a unique way. I LOVE stories that really focus thoughtfully on its characters. And I love this one because we get so many of them. And due to the nature of The Long Walk, we get to watch these changes happen. And although there is a focus on Pete and Ray, we get to frequently revisit the other boys as well. Even though they are supporting/secondary characters, they don't feel two-dimensional. They feel just as real as Ray and Pete.
That's another thing about this story: It makes you root for all of them. Which I think is genius because it supports the allegory it's making, but also because it makes it all the more heartbreaking that you know only one of them is going to make it. And even more heartbreaking that they know this too- and still manage to form very compelling and real bonds with each other despite it all.
You can read more about my general thoughts on the characters here! Or, click on a character below to learn more and read my character specific analyses!
