Analysis of the Film The Way

Izzy Johnson

Analysis of the Film The Way

Izzy Johnson

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Emilio Estevez's The Way is the story of a modern-day pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. After his adult son David dies on the first day of his camino or "pilgrimage", his grief-stricken father, Tom, flies to Spain to collect his remains. In an act of uncharacteristic spontaneity, Tom decides to finish the pilgrimage in his son's name, scattering his ashes along the way. While walking, he is joined by an over-weight Dutchman, a prickly Canadian trying to quit smoking and an Irishman who is suffering from writer's block. The film is not only a journey or a story of unlikely friendships and healing, it also pays homage to the tradition of camino which has been occurring since the eleventh century. The Way addresses four main ideas about pilgrimage: modes of transportation, guides, religion and the significance of reaching the cathedral itself. These four aspects can also be seen in medieval pilgrimages, a testament to the

Johnson !1 Isabel Johnson April Morris Romanesque and Gothic Art 12 April 2013 Analysis of The Way Emilio Estevez’s The Way is the story of a modern-day pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. After his adult son David dies on the first day of his camino or “pilgrimage”, his grief-stricken father, Tom, flies to Spain to collect his remains. In an act of uncharacteristic spontaneity, Tom decides to finish the pilgrimage in his son’s name, scattering his ashes along the way. While walking, he is joined by an over-weight Dutchman, a prickly Canadian trying to quit smoking and an Irishman who is suffering from writer’s block. The film is not only a journey or a story of unlikely friendships and healing, it also pays homage to the tradition of camino which has been occurring since the eleventh century. The Way addresses four main ideas about pilgrimage: modes of transportation, guides, religion and the significance of reaching the cathedral itself. These four aspects can also be seen in medieval pilgrimages, a testament to the enduring tradition of faith that is still relevant in contemporary times. In the film, the four main characters adhere to the tradition of taking the camino on foot using only the aid of walking sticks. Unlike medieval pilgrims, those who walk the camino today wear protective footgear meant to withstand all manner of terrains. At one point, Tom and Joost, the Dutchman, spot a group of pilgrims on bicycle. In disbelief, Joost questions why they had not ridden instead. During the Middle Ages, the camino was walked almost exclusively on foot. Biking however, has become equally popular in the twentieth century. Though the most devout Johnson !2 may disagree, most accept cycling as a valid form of transportation due to the fact that it still requires an expense of physical energy, which is part of a pilgrim’s main statement.1 The consensus, both medieval and modern however, remains that true pilgrims make their journey at “human speed” 2 in order to respect the sacred nature of the camino. Within the film, there is a running plot about the different guides provided for the camino. Joost proclaims that his guide has the quickest routes because the Dutch are notorious for always looking for the next party. The difference in guide books is also described again when Tom insists that his book is more accurate when it comes to colloquialisms. Convinced that the small-plated appetizer he wishes to order at a cafe is referred to by the locals in the Basque country as tapas, Tom orders them confidently. Much to his dismay, it turns out the Joost’s guide was right; in the Basque country, these small plates are referred to as pinchos. The Pilgrim’s Guide, attributed to Aimery Picaud of Poitou, is one of the first known medieval equivalents to these guides. Part of the Liber Sancti Jacobi or the Book of St. James, this volume described relics as as well as providing maps, locations of hospices and even a primer on the Basque language.3 Though the latter was no doubt helpful, dialects posed a comparatively small concern to pilgrims on the camino. More often than not, they were worried about surviving the elements without the help of the protective gear worn by the contemporary pilgrims in The Way. Disease, risk of injury and the possibility of bandits were all threats that made the walk a 1 Nancy Louise Frey. Pilgrim Stories : On and off the Road to Santiago. University of California Press, 1998. eBook Collection EBSCOhost (accessed April 14, 2013) 18. 2 Ibid, 18. 3 Ibid, 13. Johnson !3 treacherous one. Due to this, pilgrims were not expected to return. For those who died however, salvation was granted and passage to heaven guaranteed.4 Religion plays a relatively small part in The Way, emphasizing the secular nature the camino has taken on in the contemporary era. None of the characters are doing the walk for religious reasons despite the deeply religious context of their destination. Nevertheless, they encounter religion along the way. Tom meets an older priest who has decided to go on pilgrimage after a recent relapse of brain cancer. Being a pious man, he gives Tom a rosary and urges him to have faith though Tom has not been a practicing Catholic in years. The other encounter the travelers have with religion is when the four come upon a mound of stones about halfway through their journey. At the start of the camino, each pilgrim is given a prayer attached to an ovular stone. The former is read and the latter is thrown, presumably where many other pilgrims have cast their prayers before. Sarah, the Canadian, chokes up while reading the prayer and simply throws the stone but Tom finishes reading the prayer allowed. It is implied that the pilgrimage has spiritual undertones for all of them, yet these are really only addressed by Estevez in relation to Tom and his coming to terms with the loss of his son. The medieval camino was, of course, founded on solely religious ideals. The cult of St. James grew out of the novelty of having a nearly complete relic – the body of the titular saint. Martyred around A.D.44, St. James’ remains were transported to Spain by his disciples where they were buried in a tomb and virtually ignored until the ninth century. The tomb was re-discovered by a religious hermit named Pelayo who saw a single glowing star above the location, thus 4 Ibid, 14. Johnson !4 giving it the name campus stelle or “field of stars”.5 Pilgrimage to the newly constructed cathedral became increasingly popular during the twelfth century. The most prevalent motive6 was to play tribute or devotion to St. James in hope for bettering ones life and possibilities for the afterlife. Additionally, the camino could also serve as a way to repent for one’s sins, yet again in hopes of receiving safe passage into heaven.7 Upon the insistence of a gypsy, Tom decides to sprinkle the remainder of David’s ashes in the sea near the Bay of Biscay. Despite the fact that the travelers continue to the sea after finishing their pilgrimage, reaching the cathedral is the emotional crux of the film. Surrounded by the ancient walls, each character becomes somber and reflective. Estevez shows his skill as a director here as each character has a moment of reflexion before the great statue of St. James. Sarah, for example, leaves her pack of cigarettes at the feet of the statue. In this scene, Joost is the most reverent of the group, kneeling in front of statue. For many medieval pilgrims, the journey and the hardships that came with it were more important than reaching the cathedral itself. The cathedral was designed to house the traffic brought by pilgrims, allowing services for the residents of Santiago to continue as usual. In the Middle Ages, far fewer even reached the final destination and those who did were inclined to settle in or around Spain. After all, unlike their contemporary counterparts, the return trip, also to be made on foot, would have still been in store. 5 Ibid, 5. 6 It is hard to discern this because many pilgrims (and citizens of medieval Europe in general) were illiterate at this time. 7 Ibid, 14. Johnson !5 Estevez’s The Way creates a believable portrait of a modern camino while still respectfully acknowledging the traditions that lead to this practice. In some ways, juxtaposing the modern with the medieval has made the latter more visible. The elements of a traditional pilgrimage can still be seen in the mode of transportation chosen by the characters as well as the religious elements Tom and his fellow travelers encounter along the way. In contrast, the use of guidebooks and the simplicity of the return trip are decidedly different than they would have been in the epoch of the camino de Santiago. For those who know little about the cult of St. James or the significance of pilgrimage in the medieval era, the film could still be enjoyed simply for its hopeful plot and relatable characters. However, if one knows about the origins of these pilgrimages, Estevez’s film stands as a testament to the endurance of the strong tradition of faith based in the middle ages. Works Cited Frey, Nancy Louise. Pilgrim Stories : On and off the Road to Santiago. University of California Press, 1998. eBook Collection EBSCOhost (accessed April 14, 2013). acref-9780227679319-e-667. Works Consulted Rucquoi, Adeline. "Compostela." In Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages. James Clarke & Co, 2002. http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780227679319.001.0001/

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