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Aditya Mani Jha

(Kharagpur, West Bengal)

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amj91288 [at] gmail [dot] com

Road To Perdition: A Modern Classic

“Road To Perdition” is perhaps one of the most under-rated films of recent times. This 2002 film, directed by Sam Mendes(of American Beauty fame), was appreciated for its performances(though not nearly enough) but criticised for, according to one review, “for failing to strike an emotional chord with the audience” and “not offering enough empathy for its principal characters”. I saw the film for the first time a couple of days back, and I think it was easily one of the best films of the decade. Some of the things that the film has got going for it are-

1. Tom Hanks - The highlight of the film has to be yet another virtuoso performance from Hanks who makes cliches like “getting under the skin of the character” seem empty and redundant. As Michael Sullivan a.k.a. “Angel of Death”, the gangster who guards his family fiercely, he toplines an ensemble cast also featuring Paul Newman, Daniel Craig and Jude Law. The scenes featuring Newman and Hanks together are some of the most compelling you’ll ever come across.Even when they are not actually delivering heavy-duty dialogues, the inimitable duo are a study in masterful acting. Watch out for the scene in which John Rooney(Newman) starts to play a tune on the piano, Sullivan(Hanks) joins in, and then, the two complete the symphony together as the room watches in awestruck silence.

Be it the eponymous character in Forrest Gump, Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, Paul Edgecomb in The Green Mile, in Castaway, or more recently as Charlie Wilson in Charlie Wilson’s War , Tom Hanks has delivered extraordinary performances. Most actors would be happy with just one performance like that in an entire career.

2. The Script - Adapted from a gritty, sombre graphic novel of the same name, Road To Perdition explores themes of violence, the ambiguity of “good” and “evil” ……but above all it is a picture about fathers and sons. The relationship between Sullivan and his son changes forever (SPOILER ALERT) when his wife and younger son are gunned down by the psychopathic Conner Rooney(Daniel Craig) forcing the father and son duo to flee together. This is dovetailed nicely by the relationship between John Rooney and Michael Sullivan. Rooney loves Michael,his right-hand man more than his own son,who is a disgrace and an embarrasment to him. Yet, when his son mindlessly kills Sullivan’s wife and younger son(and tries to kill Sullivan himself) he chooses to shield his son and hunt down Sullivan, thus showing the increasingly complex nature of the father-son relationships in the film. Later on when Sullivan confronts Rooney about his wife and son’s murder, Rooney says reflectively, “Look around Mike…..there are only murderers in this room.”

3. Technique and Direction- The film is technically perfect and some of the innovative camera-work, use of light and sound effects just takes your breath away. The bleakness of Depression-era America of the 30’s has been brought about by minimal contrast and mostly black-and-white clothes. The scenes featuring Jude Law, who plays a twisted assassin with a macabre hobby(of taking photos of his victims’ corpses) are shining examples of the technical brilliance of this film. Towards the end of the film, there is a masterful sequence where Sullivan is engaged in a fierce gunfight with Rooney’s men while the old man himself has his eyes closed, lost in thoughts about the turn of events. But instead of the usual staccato sounds of bullets or even a muted, distant sound of gunfire, we have a beautiful piano solo playing, not unlike the one played by Sullivan and Rooney. The terrible beauty and poignance of the scene is all-too clear as Sullivan guns down the men and finally confronts Rooney, who says , with tears in his eyes
“I’m so glad it’s you….”

Director Sam Mendes deserves our praise not only for the judicious way in which he has utilised most of the cast(with the exception of perhaps Daniel Craig, whose character remains mostly monochromatic and doesn’t really evolve) but also for his creative and artistic vision. Perhaps this film showcases his considerable talents even more than the more popular “American Beauty”. The latter was guilty of being overly sentimental at times, but there is no such problem here as Mendes has told a taut and terrific tale without being preachy or judgmental about its characters.

All said and done, “Road To Perdition” is cinema at its most compelling and merits far more attention than it has got. I’m sure all those who loved the films of Sam Mendes are eagerly waiting for “Revolutionary Road” featuring among others the Titanic troika of Leonardo Di Caprio, Kate Winslet and veteran Kathy Bates.

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