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Stephen King is the most famous horror writer to date. IT, Christine, Misery, The Shining, Carrie, Cujo…there is a wide variety of tales in his oeuvre that have scarred readers of all generations. Needless to say, he’s had a pretty impressive career thus far. His greatest stories have endured the test of time and are still just as popular now. Even more remarkable is that King adaptations have no signs of slowing down. In fact, now Hollywood is turning its sights to The Long Walk, a story about teenage boys in a dystopian society who are challenged to walk without slowing down or stopping for 450 miles on U.S. Route 1 in Maine. This televised competition is monitored by an emotionless political leader known only as the Major (played by Mark Hamill in the film).
The Long Walk may not sound like it’s particularly terrifying or violent in its content. After all, what’s so scary about walking, right? However, it is actually one of Stephen King’s most brutal books. The Major is eerily similar to political figures and world leaders that have existed throughout human history in real life. Gary Barkovitch (played by Charlie Plummer in the film) is a loose cannon who purposefully provokes one of his fellow walkers into attacking him. King describes in graphic detail how this competitor was shot in the head mid-stride. That’s not the only intense moment in the book. Like other fans of the book, I am eagerly awaiting the film adaptation. Still, I am a bit worried. I really want to see the filmmakers push the envelope and show violence that is just as brutal as the book, but given the filmmakers behind the adaptation, I am concerned they won’t dare to go there.
The Long Walk Is Not Meant to Be a YA Story
I will be the first to admit that I may not be fair in my worries about The Long Walk. Right away, I am jumping to a conclusion about the upcoming adaptation. My concern comes from the fact that the film is being directed by Francis Lawrence, who is best known for four films in The Hunger Games franchise. He is a perfectly skilled director, but he’s coming from the world of young adult fiction. He found success in that space, and since there are striking similarities between the stories, it’s possible that Lawrence will attempt to turn The Long Walk into The Hunger Games 2.0.
There’s a parallel that can be drawn between The Long Walk and The Hunger Games. Both feature young teenagers competing in a contest in a dystopian society run by a totalitarian regime. The difference is that The Hunger Games is almost palatable and sanitized in its violence when compared to Stephen King’s novel, which is significantly more brutal and disturbing.
Even though The Hunger Games is a YA series, it does explore some dark subject matter and has daring depictions of violence. However, it never goes to the extreme. King’s book, on the other hand, does not play fair. There are no heartfelt moments, such as the ones that Katniss Everdeen shares with her childhood friend, Gale Hawthorne, or the bread boy himself, Peeta Mellark. No moment of hope or redemption is offered, not even at the end when the protagonist, Ray Garraty, collapses at the end of the finish line. He is greeted by a figure that could be death, and appears to be in the midst of a mental breakdown due to his exhaustion. A YA version of this story would offer a light at the end of the tunnel and a less bleak ending.
Since The Long Walk is being directed by Francis Lawrence, I am worried that it’s going to be a glossier, more YA-friendly version of the story. No shade to him as a director or even The Hunger Games, which is a perfectly entertaining franchise. I am just hoping for a version of The Long Walk that is boundary-pushing and daring. It’s uncomfortable to watch teenage boys take part in a sadistic game under the oppressive leadership of a totalitarian regime, but it’s supposed to feel that way. I hope that the adaptation is willing to be just as dark as the book.
The Ending of the Book Leaves Readers Feeling Hopeless
The boys in The Long Walk start the competition feeling lukewarm about the Major and his political rule. They are only subjected to it through indirect means, but participating in the Long Walk, they see firsthand his brutality and heartlessness. By the end, they’re boiling over with rage about his influence and leadership. Hank Olson even attempts to attack the guards and ends up getting executed.
As mentioned, one of the most brutal aspects of The Long Walk is its ending. Ray Garraty has won the competition by lasting the entire time and making it 450 miles without slowing to a pace below 4 MPH. He’s seen his fellow walkers taken out by the Major in increasingly horrific ways, so crossing the finish line doesn’t feel victorious. He feels defeated and sees an ominous shadow that could be Death itself. Stephen King’s narration states:
A hand on his shoulder. Garraty shook it off impatiently. The dark figure beckoned, beckoned in the rain, beckoned for him to come and walk, to come and play the game. And it was time to get started. There was still so far to walk. Eyes blind, supplicating hands held out before him as if for alms, Garraty walked toward the dark figure. And when the hand touched his shoulder again, he somehow found the strength to run.
Many people can’t digest an ending that is so dire and full of dread, especially when connecting it to real-world politics. Nobody wants to leave the theater feeling full of despair. Arguably, that’s what makes the story so scary. It ends on a hopeless note, suggesting that the society depicted is not going to get any better. One could assume that the Major will still be in power and that Ray Garraty will never be the same again.
To be fair, other Stephen King adaptations have ended on a downer note. The Mist, released in 2007, is the perfect example. The writer/director Frank Darabont changed King’s ending from the book to one that’s even more horrific. Now, many consider the ending of The Mist to be one of the saddest of all time. The Long Walk could join that list if it remains faithful to the source material.
Fans Can Watch The Long Walk in Theaters in September
Let me reiterate that I have nothing against Francis Lawrence as a director or JT Mollner, who wrote the screenplay. It’s a challenge for anyone to make a story about walking interesting for the runtime of a feature-length film. My wary feelings stem from being a fan of The Long Walk. The book is one of the quieter ones in Stephen King’s collection, but it’s arguably one of the darkest, even without monsters like Pennywise the Dancing Clown. I’m crossing my fingers that the brutal nature of the content will make its way to the big screen.
The adaptation of The Long Walk has been a long time coming. The zombie whisperer himself, George A. Romero, was originally attached in 1988, but that version was never greenlit into production. From there, many other directors and writers were attached, but none of them really stuck. Fans will finally be able to see the story on the big screen.
Stephen King has always excelled at writing young characters who feel wise beyond their years. The same holds true for The Long Walk. The audience needs to care and get to know the teenagers participating in the Long Walk as much as the readers. If they’re throwaway contestants with no depth, then there’s no way the film will feel as bleak and horrific as the book.
Coupled with that, the violence inflicted against them has to be harsh and unrelenting. The Major’s lack of empathy is what makes the book so chilling. Seeing young teenagers get shot and killed without any mercy is supposed to be uncomfortable. It’s why The Long Walk is such a tough read. I can imagine that modern audiences aren’t going to want to see that kind of violence on the big screen, especially when it’s at the end of a totalitarian leader. Viewers at both ends may inevitably make leaps between the film and the contemporary political landscape.
Here’s to hoping that I am proven very wrong and that The Long Walk as a book isn’t too brutal to turn into a movie. With a daring script and direction, the film can easily be one of the best Stephen King adaptations of all time.
