The Salt Path is the true story of husband and wife Raynor and Moth Winn.
If the name rings a bell, Raynor Winn’s 2018 book of the same name was a bestseller.
In the movie, Raynor is played by Gillian Anderson (Scully from The X-Files) and Moth is played by Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy from the Harry Potter movies).
This is the story of one couple’s 630 mile walk along the South West Coast Path from Somerset to Dorset.
The movie begins with the walk already underway. It is evident that this middle-aged couple are not well organised or regular trekkers. Through a series of flashbacks we learn how they came to be undertaking this journey.
It is a spontaneous reaction to two tragic events – first they are evicted from their farm and lose everything and then Moth is diagnosed with the terminal illness corticobasal degeneration (CBD).
There are several reasons why their reaction is a most surprising one. First, they have very little money so they have to carry a small tent and eat very frugally. Secondly, the walk goes entirely against the medical advice Moth is given at diagnosis.
He is told to be careful on steps and to avoid over exertion – this long walk is not only strenuous but it involves a lot of steps. The Winns also have two university-aged children.
The movie follows them along the coast. During the journey, Moth’s mobility improves very markedly and he goes cold turkey off his painkillers. Over the year of walking, the couple have a strong connection with nature, depend on each other, their relationship grows and they recognise that meaning is not to be found in possessions.
The acting is strong and the scenery impressive – it certainly evokes wilderness, bitter cold and hard going.
While I enjoyed the movie I had seen the shorts a few times and this really undermined much of my enjoyment of the film. The couple do not always walk along together so there is not a great deal of dialogue and it is not a film with constant drama – other than in the scenery.
If you have seen the shorts of the movie, you’ve heard the main dialogue and seen the major scenes. More problematic for me was that fact that we really learn very little about Raynor and Moth’s lives before they start their walk.
I don’t know whether they were particularly materialistic or flamboyantly acquisitive before they were struck by the dual tragedies. The reasons for their loss of all their possessions and their farm are not really well explained.
I understand that the walk is the film’s focus but without more background the viewer cannot judge the extent of their transformation.
Faith and God are entirely absent from this movie—apart from one scene walking through a cemetery next to an old church.
I felt for this couple navigating such profound challenges and change in their circumstances without God—no prayers, no meaning to suffering, no thanks for providential events.
I had the same feeling visiting the Quake City museum in Canterbury, New Zealand which documents the 2011 and 2010 earthquakes. Videos were made of survivors of the quake in its aftermath and again some years later.
Their stories of suffering, courage and survival are inspirational but—just like The Salt Path —there is not one mention of God. While God is not mentioned in The Salt Path, he is clearly evident to those who look for him—in the beauty of his creation, in the dangers survived and in the kindness of strangers.
Be aware that there is one scene involving marijuana use. The Salt Path is nonetheless well worth seeing.
Emeritus Professor Michael Quinlan is the former national head of the School of Law and Business at the University of Notre Dame Australia.