Stephen King’s first written – and arguably most disturbing – novel The Long Walk has finally made its way to the big screen, 46 years after its publication.
The story, written by King during his freshman year of college between 1966 and 1967, presents a grim and haunting premise. One hundred teenage boys, chosen by lottery, embark on a brutal walking marathon with no finish line. They have to keep up a pace of 4mph in the presence of armed guards; three offenses for a lapse below the pace results in execution. The surviving boy gets to take away his prize of choice.
The Long Walk, published in 1979 in an alternate America where the country is in military rule, was King’s initial book but came out five years after the publication of Carrie catapulted him to fame. Today, as King ages 78, The Long Walk has been made into a movie by Francis Lawrence, who is best recognized for The Hunger Games series.
Francis Lawrence on bringing King’s vision to life
Lawrence admitted that he had become infatuated with the novel many years ago, while he was writing I Am Legend. In spite of its dark tone, he struggled to remain true to King’s uncompromising vision. “You must sense the miles and the passing of time, and sense the degradation emotionally, psychologically, physically,” he explained, reluctant to dilute the novel’s nightmarish atmosphere for mass-market consumption.
The adaptation struggled for decades. Directors such as George A. Romero and Frank Darabont, both seasoned at bringing King to the screen, attempted but were unsuccessful. Lawrence was ultimately successful, prioritizing authenticity over compromise.
A tale of hopelessness and humanity
Scholars and critics point out The Long Walk as one of King’s darkest works. Film programmer Michael Blyth points out that while it depicts unyielding death, it also captures kindness, as the boys look after each other instead of becoming violent. Simon Brown, who wrote Screening Stephen King, is in agreement that the novel is dark but regards it as a starting point for King’s style, common people thrown into extraordinary terror.
The Richard Bachman era
The Long Walk was among five novels King published under the pen name Richard Bachman from 1977 to 1984. King employed the pseudonym in order to see whether his success was the result of his talent or chance. Early Bachman titles, such as Rage and Roadwork, sold moderately until the ruse was discovered in 1985 by bookstore clerk Steve Brown. When Thinner and subsequently Misery were published under King’s actual name, they were bestsellers, and the experiment’s reputation was forever secured.
Blyth acclaimed The Long Walk as “head and shoulders above the rest” of the Bachman novels, referencing influences from 1984, Lord of the Flies, and Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery. The novel also used influences from game shows and the Vietnam War, both repeating ideas of spectacle and indiscriminate death.
Influence on modern dystopias
The Long Walk is sometimes credited as the source of the deadly competition genre that later influenced Battle Royale, The Hunger Games, Squid Game, and others. Blyth doesn’t call it a prototype, but rather a completed version of what later books aped. Lawrence concurs, labeling King’s vision as the keystone of the dystopian survival sub-genre.
The novel’s themes, poverty, exploitation, voyeurism, and spectacle—seem more salient today than ever. Reality television and competition shows reproduce its voyeuristic configuration, while real-world struggles make its depiction of financial desperation resonate with contemporary audiences.
Relevance almost 50 years later
Despite being almost five decades old, The Long Walk remains current in its fears about contemporary life. Brown mentions its unsettling prescience regarding reality television, constant observation, and even social media culture. Its gladiatorial undertones also mirror how audiences engage with spectacle, sometimes without remorse.
For Lawrence, though, the emphasis was on relatability, not politics. “I didn’t want it to be political, I wanted it to be relatable. In terms of the US, I wanted either side of the political divide to view this and be able to relate.”
After many decades of futile endeavors, The Long Walk has finally crossed the line, bringing King’s most eerie tale to a world that can perhaps now welcome its darkened urgency.
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