The Road to Perdition Review
by Homer Yen (homer_yen AT yahoo DOT com)July 18th, 2002
"The Road to Perdition" – A Journey with Tolls
"Perdition," among summer films, will be the road less taken. It's an admirable film and it's certainly watchable on all levels. But perhaps it's just not quite the right type of movie whilst we bake in the heat of the summer. Most moviegoers are already soaking from the humidity and the heat. It's hard to watch characters become soaked under moral conflict.
And that's true even if the main characters are the venerable Paul Newman who crackles as a Chicago mob boss (named Rooney) or if it's the versatile Tom Hanks whose measured performance in this role (which tremendously restricts maneuverability) merits his recent AFI Lifetime Achievement award. They are both quite good in their roles, and one could even consider their work Oscar-worthy, at least if the voting were to begin today.
They may not snag that award outright, but no film will outdo the exquisite cinematography by Conrad Hall who provides the movie with it's most vital element – atmosphere. "Perdition" is a fairly simple narrative, spawned from a graphic comic book. But its themes are complex and those layers are given dimension through the visuals even more than the acting. The scenery and the sets are a character in itself, from the darkened streets pelted with raindrops to the snowy cityscape to the pall of the Depression.
It's all good stuff, and "The Road to Perdition" is paved with good intentions. It possesses an intriguing premise that plays upon the elements of loyalty, blood, and survival. And it offers a compelling component that explores filial piety amid a bloodstained world of gangsters, mob bosses and hitmen. But for all that it tries to do, it comes across feeling a bit muted. And for all of the ammo that is dispensed which should have come across as exclamation points, there is a noticeable lack of umphh.
The problem is that the world of "Perdition" is continually bleak, constantly dreary, and does not offer much chance for salvation. Set amidst the Great Depression, the film centers on fathers and sons. One son is named Connor (Daniel Craig) who was born into entitlement as the son of a powerful mob boss named Rooney (Paul Newman). One is named Michael Jr. (Tyler Hoechlin) who is only a 12-year old boy but will live a lifetime during the course of this film. Then, there's Michael Sr. (Tom Hanks), who works for Mr. Rooney. Because of his loyalty and devotion, Rooney has always considered him a son. "Sons were put on this Earth to harass their fathers," notes one of the characters. And in a tragic twist of events, loyalties become shattered. And these fathers have now been flung down a path of no return.
But there's a greater problem than the feeling of wrong-movie-wrong-time. The characters seem trapped within a fate that is inescapable. Patriarchal Rooney needs to retire soon for his blood ties compromise his management style. Connor is a liability. Michael Sr., in fleeing, begins a journey of atonement, to which their can be none given all his sins. Alas, only Michael Jr. has a choice. And while the narrative and thematic arcs come together nicely in the end, one would find more satisfaction if the film changed it's pace every now and then or through in a few surprises.
Grade: B-
S: 0 out of 3
L: 2 out of 3
V: 3 out of 3
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