Road to Perdition Cinema

• Cert:
• Running time: 116 minutes
• Year: 2002
• Released: 20th September 2002
• Widescreen Ratio: 2.35:1
• Rating: 8/10

Director:

(American Beauty, Road to Perdition)

Cast:

Over the years, the gangster genre has given us some of the best films evermade. Road to Perditiondesperately wants to join that group of Godfathersand Goodfellas and arrive as an instant classic. It has all thecredentials and potential to do so, but ultimately falls some way short,due mainly to a thinness and predictability of story and a severe dose ofstyle over substance.

It may be that its origins as a graphic novel haven’t allowed for the sortof depth and complexity necessary to make it a great film, or it may bethat director Mendes thought people would be too busy admiring his gloriousvisuals to worry about the lean script. And admire they will, becauserarely has any film looked as good as this. Interiors are bathed instunning light and shadow and the period detail leant to some of theexteriors is simply breathtaking. A couple of key scenes take place in analmost biblical downpour, and even rain has never looked this good.

It’s the era of Al Capone in the American mid-west, and Michael Sullivan isa loyal lieutenant to local crime boss John Rooney. Taken in by Rooney whenhe was young, he is practically a son to him – a source of some discontentto Rooney’s actual son, Connor. Sullivan’s son Michael meanwhile, cannotcommunicate with his father or form any sort of bond with him, nor does heknow what he does for a living, other than he does jobs for Mr Rooney andhe carries a gun.

Curiosity finally gets the better of him and he hides inthe back of the car when his father and Connor go out on a job. What startsout as a meeting with some dissenting associates takes a deadly turn whenhothead Connor kills one of them, compelling Sullivan to gun down the restof them. Michael, having witnessed the whole thing, is spotted by Connor,but can he keep a secret? Connor doesn’t think so and attempts to haveMichael and his father killed, but succeeds only in killing Sullivan’s wifeand his other young son, forcing Sullivan and Michael to go on the run.

It’s a straightforward story of revenge and redemption, well enough told.The only problem is we know exactly where it’s heading. Most of the maincharacters are nicely drawn and the three pivotal father/son (orfather/surrogate son) relationships in the film are meaningful andbelievable. The focus is obviously on Sullivan and Michael, as theygradually warm to each other on the road, but the key to it all is Rooney.He loves Sullivan, but won’t give up on Connor and the scenes between Hanksand Newman are emotional and beautifully played.

Hanks is as solid and dependable as ever and it’s a brave move on his partto attempt such an atypical role, but his overwhelming decency means henever fully convinces as a supposedly cold blooded killer. We’re meant toempathise with him and his situation of course, and we do, but we don’tfear him – he’s a bad man who only kills other bad men. Newman is as goodas he has ever been, and uses every ounce of his legend to imbue Rooneywith alternately great paternal warmth and chilling, calculating evil.

Throw in the outstanding Jude Law as a psychotic hitman and the nicelyunderplaying Tucci as Capone’s quietly menacing right hand man, Nitti, andwe have a dream cast working at the top of their game. It’s just a shamethey’re all helpless to elevate the film above its pulp origins.