I cannot say that I like this film because I am not a fan of gangster films, but I can admire what I have seen. Here I leave my personal point of view and… be aware, some details of the plot are revealed!!
Directed by Sam Mendes, Road to Perdition is based on the graphic novel of Max Allan Collins, adapted by Danny Self for the big screen and released in 2002.
>> Michael Sullivan (Tom Hanks) lives in Chicago with his family and works for John Rooney (Paul Newman), a suburban mob who took care of him when he was a little boy. But Connor Rooney (Daniel Craig), John’s son, is jealous of Michael’s relationship with his father.
All the stability of Sullivan’s life disappears when his eldest son, Michael Jr (Tyler Hoechlin), accidentally discovers his father’s job: hired assassin. This fact causes the assassination of Sullivan’s wife and his youngest son and leads him to a spiral of revenge. Now he has just one objective: survive to kill Connor and John Rooney. <<
This film is supposed to be a gangster film, but it looks more like a Greek tragedy, one of those stories where at the end of the movie absolutely everybody gets killed and violence is present almost every moment. Although the script is well constructed, the plot is very obvious. Being able to guess the characters’ fate even at the beginning of the film plays down the excitement a little bit.
Indeed, the key of the story is the relationship between fathers and sons:
“Sons are put on this earth to trouble their parents”, says John Rooney to Sullivan.
On one hand, John Rooney considers Sullivan as a son, he took care of him when he was an orphan and helped him when he needed it. But John’s real son, Connor, is not precisely a model of behaviour and feels jealous of the treatment that Sullivan receives. That feeling triggers the plot and it makes John choose between his emotions and his own blood.
On the other hand, equally important is the relationship between Michael Jr and his father, which is developed during the film. Starting with admiration, he feels disappointed when he discovers his real father’s job and also guilty of his family’s destiny. Gradually, he will understand his father and love, pain, fear and revenge will finally unite them.
This film has an incredible cast, including Paul Newman’s last appearance on the big screen before dying of cancer. The choice of cast was one of the best decisions of the producers. I would like to highlight the interpretation of both Jude Law playing the role of a psychotic photographer and murderer and Tyler Hoechlin as the little 12-year-old Michael.
Michael Sullivan Sr. is a flawed man, a hired assassin, but he is also shown as a human, a religious father and protector who just wants his son not to follow the same way he chose. It is difficult to imagine Tom Hanks as the bad guy after so many films that he played the opposite role. Maybe this is the reason why we automatically feel empathy with his character.
In addition, the photography of every picture transports us to the environment of the Great Depression, where the story is developed, and a persistent rain accompanies us during almost the whole 1h 40 minutes that the film lasts.
It is interesting to comment that the title of the film plays with the double meaning of “perdition”, referred to the fate of the characters and to the village that appears in the final minutes.
In conclusion, this is a story about human relationships and violence that will catch you with its lively speed despite its predictability.
