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Road to Perdition (2002) DreamWorks / 20th Century Fox 2 hrs. Starring: Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Tyler Hoechlin and Jude Law Directed by: Sam Mendes Road to Perdition Rating:  
E-MAIL GIANCARLO DE LISI The basis which great film thrives upon are the characters. In his sophomore effort, Director Sam Mendes (American Beauty) once again takes his stage background and fuses fantastic character development with audacious storytelling. Road to Perdition stars a phenomenal cast which provides the basis for one of the best films of the year. From its’ sleek directing, to its’ riveting central conflict between son and father, this film must be screened more than once in order to truly appreciate the authentic and masterful product that has been engineered. Tom Hanks continues to follow in the paths of the other famous Tom, as he also amazes in his selection of roles. Opting for a flawed and merciless character, Hanks portrays Mike Sullivan; a hitman under employment of the venerable Paul Newman. Newman plays Irish Mob Gangster Paul Rooney, a ruthless and seemingly timid character who controls all, as demonstrated in the opening wake sequence. Set in the Depression-era 30’s, the setting completes this taut tale of vengeance and loyalty as Mike Sullivan must protect his junior when he gives into his curiosity and discovers what his father does for a living. The bonds of loyalty and family are despaired as those friends one considered family, are in actuality their killers. After a regrettable series of events, Michael Sullivan is forced to protect his son from those same people he worked for in fear of the young one divulging the information witnessed, thus compromising the whole organization. Director Sam Mendes proves with this very film that his previous effort, American Beauty, was not a stroke of luck. Based upon a graphic novel written by Max Allen Collins and Richard Piers Rayner, David Self’s script based on the graphic novel allows Mendes to lift the imagery and visuals instilled within that novel. The subtle brilliance of the film resides in the aesthetic aspect, it has been quite some time since the concepts of style and substance may be both equally and positively discussed within the same film. The film’s style is a surreal scope of visceral beauty. Mendes once again teams with Cinematographer Conrad L. Hall in order to lens this magnificent looking film. From the streaming bead of raindrops to the lush oceanic view, to the ambience captured in front of the lens, this film contains a myriad of memorable sequences (One such sequence is the Tommy-gun in the rain sequence) attributable duly to the visual stylings of Conrad L. Hall and the vision of Sam Mendes. Mendes also succeeds in the plot department. One of my biggest fears before entering the film would be to discover how much content can be extrapolated from a graphic novel. The film’s nucleus is not on the notion of gangsterism, but on the notion of familial ties and loyalty. From the film’s opening, we notice the salty relationship between the young Sullivan and his senior, as the film progresses, we see a certain sense of preference from one son to another as Hanks invites affection from one child and not from the other. Yet, throughout the tumultuous and stricken-riddled times, under pressure, a relationship forms between father and son as they escape danger and form an actual bond based on emotion and not one of a sanguinal affiliation. The debate of style over substance can be put to rest because this film has many of the prerequisites that are needed to create a truly great piece of film. As aforementioned, one of the traits was the acting. The film’s focal point is the father and son relationship witnessed through a triadic loop. Allegiances and blood are witnessed as three different sets of father – son relationships are jeopardized. As Sullivan is protecting his son, Newman’s character is also protecting his, and while all this transpires, the bond that Hanks and Newman’s characters possessed is also put to the test. Paul Newman does an absolute astounding piece of character incarnation with his brief albeit imperative role. Yet, audience members will retain the devilish snare of Jude Law’s hired assassin role as Law tears into his cunning character’s portrayal. It would be criminal to exclude Stanley Tucci’s role as Frank NItti, Al Capone’s right hand man. Finally, Tyler Doelich is brute and compliments the ongoing relationship between himself and Hanks as this young actor holds his own against the remarkable Tom Hanks. The film in essence is an audacious piece of cinema not because it is a gangster film, but because it is a piece about the relationships in our lives that were not held dear to us, and upon second chance, given the opportunity, we can resuscitate those failed relationships. If we look at the greatest gangster films made such as Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather I, or Martin Scorcese’s Goodfellas, these films were great not because of their torrid love affair with gangsterism, but because it explored the trivial relationships normal society could have never understood and put them on a template. Loyalties and bonds can be easily decimated, and in this film, the relationships examined are two fold. One of which is the fascination within a crime family and its’ many drawbacks, but secondly and most important of all, it is about the emotional toll it may take upon the members of these organizations. Jennifer Jason Leigh portrays Sullivan’s wife and within the limited amount of time we see the pair together, the scenes allude to an impersonal and fabricated relationship. With the demands of ‘evening assignments’ for the Man of the house, relationships are not sincere and dependence more than romance seems to be the centerpiece of the relationship. Mendes will reap the benefits of this film for a long time. His vision and manipulation of the 30’s crime era has resulted in a sleek, authentic and masterful film that requires full appreciation for the amalgamation of all the requirements that make cinema the art medium that it is. Click here to comment on this review or post your own thoughts. Giancarlo De Lisi © TheWorldJournal.com |
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