Road to Perdition

Infobox Film
name = Road to Perdition


image_size =
caption = Theatrical poster
director = Sam Mendes
producer = Sam Mendes
Dean Zanuck
Richard D. Zanuck
writer = Screenplay:
David Self
Graphic Novel:
Max Allan Collins
Richard Piers Rayner
narrator =
starring = Tom Hanks
Tyler Hoechlin
Paul Newman
Jude Law
Daniel Craig
music = Thomas Newman
cinematography = Conrad L. Hall
editing = Jill Bilcock
distributor = United States:
DreamWorks
International:
20th Century Fox
released = United States:
July 12, 2002
United Kingdom:
September 27, 2002
runtime = 117 min.
country = United States
language = English
budget = US$80,000,000
website =
amg_id = 1:263135
imdb_id = 0257044

"Road to Perdition" is a 2002 period drama directed by Sam Mendes. The screenplay was adapted by David Self, from the graphic novel of the same name by Max Allan Collins. The film stars Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law, Tyler Hoechlin and Daniel Craig. Hanks stars as Michael Sullivan, an assassin who is forced to flee with his son from the crime syndicate for whom he had worked.

Filming took place in the Chicago area. Mendes, having recently finished 1999's acclaimed "American Beauty", pursued a film that had minimal dialogue and conveyed emotion in the imagery. A "cold look" was created for the locations to emphasize the characters' emotional states. Cinematographer Conrad L. Hall took advantage of the lighting and the environment to create symbolism for the film, for which he won several awards. "Road to Perdition" explored the themes of the consequences of violence and the relationship between father and son.

The film was released on July 12, 2002, and received mostly positive reviews. The cinematography, setting, and the lead performances by Paul Newman (in his final theatrical screen appearance) and Tom Hanks were well-received, though the film was criticized for not creating a strong emotional attachment to its audience.

Plot

Michael Sullivan, Sr. is an enforcer to John Rooney, an Irish American organized crime boss in Illinois during the Great Depression. Sullivan, an orphan raised by Rooney, has worked for the crime boss most of his life. Sullivan and Rooney's son, Connor, are sent by Rooney to talk to Finn McGovern, a disgruntled employee. Sullivan's son, twelve-year-old Michael Sullivan, Jr., follows the enforcers, witnesses Connor's impulsive killing of McGovern, and stumbles into discovery by Connor and his father. Although Sullivan swears his son to secrecy, Connor tries to seal the secret with a failed attempt to kill Sullivan, while murdering Sullivan's wife, Annie, and the younger son, Peter. Sullivan and his son Michael escape the attack and flee to Chicago.

Sullivan requests assistance from Al Capone's crime syndicate to seek revenge, but when he is rejected, Sullivan and his son plan a string of robberies to steal the syndicate's laundered money. Sullivan hopes to coerce Capone into giving up Connor for the money, but Capone instead dispatches assassin Harlen Maguire to kill Sullivan and his son. Maguire sets up a trap for Sullivan with the aid of Rooney's accountant, Alexander Rance. Sullivan arrives at Rance's hotel room, seeking assistance, and Rance stalls him long enough for Maguire to appear. Rance is killed in the crossfire of the ensuing gunfight, but Sullivan escapes, however he is shot in the arm. Maguire receives a superficial wound to his face, where debris is embedded down one side of his head, but he survives. Sullivan's son takes his father to a farm where a childless and elderly couple helps the former enforcer recover. During his recuperation, Sullivan finds in ledgers taken from Rance that Connor had embezzled money from his father under the names of gang members that he had murdered.

When Sullivan recovers, he secretly meets with John Rooney during Mass and shares his discovery about Connor. Rooney refuses to let his son be harmed. Sullivan is forced to hunt down and kill members of Rooney's gang, including John Rooney himself. With the crime boss dead, Capone finds no reason to protect Connor anymore, and Capone's lieutenant Frank Nitti (who has a disdain for Connor) gives Sullivan a tip to track Connor down and kill him. Apparently free from pursuit, Sullivan and his son make their way to the town of Perdition, Michigan. A disfigured Maguire surprises Michael Sullivan Sr. in the summer house of Sarah (Annie's sister). Maguire shoots Sullivan Sr. from behind, and the assassin finds himself held at gunpoint by Sullivan's son. Maguire approaches the son as Sullivan discourages his son from firing to have blood on his hands. Sullivan is able to shoot and kill Maguire from behind instead, and Sullivan dies in his son's arms. The son mourns his father's death and finds his way to the elderly couple that had helped him and his father, growing up with them.

Cast and characters

*Tom Hanks as Michael Sullivan, Sr.: A hitman who works for John Rooney. Hanks was sent a copy of the graphic novel "Road to Perdition" by Spielberg while he was filming "Cast Away" (2000). Initially too busy to make sense of the story, he later received David Self's adapted screenplay, to which he became attached. Hanks, a father to four children, described Michael Sullivan's role, "I just got this guy. If you're a man, and you've got offspring--emotionally, it's devastating." Hanks portrayed Michael Sullivan in the film as a man who spoke little dialogue, particularly to avoid breaking the sense of self-awareness.
*Tyler Hoechlin as Michael Sullivan, Jr.: The oldest son of Michael Sullivan, Sr. Hoechlin was chosen from over 2,000 candidates to portray Michael Sullivan's son. The actor was 13 years old at the time of filming. For scenes in which Hoechlin's character assisted his father as a getaway driver, Hoechlin was trained to drive for several scenes by a driving instructor.
*Paul Newman as John Rooney: A crime boss who treats Sullivan as a surrogate son. Newman was unanimously the first choice for the role. The actor prepared for his role by requesting Frank McCourt, the Irish-American author of "Angela's Ashes", to record a tape of himself speaking.
*Daniel Craig as Connor Rooney: The coldblooded, murderous son of John Rooney. He is jealous of the surrogate relationship between his father and Michael Sullivan, Sr.
*Jude Law as Harlen Maguire: A crime scene photographer who moonlights as an assassin. Screenwriter David Self, who created the character of Harlen Maguire that did not exist in the graphic novel, explained, "He gets so jaded from exposure to this world, he steps over the line from being the storyteller to being the story maker."cite news | author=Anthony Teofilo | url=http://www.moviepoopshoot.com/perdition/2.html | title=A Self Made Man | publisher=Movie Poop Shoot | date= | accessdate=2007-07-25 ] To capture the "seedy countenance" of the character, Law was given a sallow skin tone and beat-up hands that reflected the wear from working in a darkroom. Law's teeth also received a lower gumline and had the look of rotten teeth. Law's character carried a camera that served as dual symbolism to his acts of murder. The character's apartment also displayed a collection of favorite photographs, some of which were actual police stills from the 1930s to illustrate the historic and authentic nature of crime in the decade.
*Stanley Tucci as Frank Nitti: A lieutenant under Al Capone. Tucci had previously avoided roles in gangster films, believing that Hollywood stereotyped all Italian-Americans as gangsters. The actor, attracted to the prospect of working with Mendes and his crew, changed his mind and accepted the role of Nitti, a real-life Mob boss from Chicago. [cite news | author=Clint O'Connor | url= | title=Out of Season | publisher=The Plain Dealer | date=2002-07-07 | accessdate= ]
*Jennifer Jason Leigh as Annie Sullivan: The wife of Michael Sullivan, Sr. Leigh was a friend of Sam Mendes and portrayed the role as a favor to the director. Leigh had more scenes as Annie Sullivan than the film showed, but due to time constraints, the scenes were cut. Scenes with her were subsequently placed on the film's DVD.
*Liam Aiken as Peter Sullivan: The youngest son of Michael Sullivan, Sr.
*Dylan Baker as Alexander Rance: An accountant who holds the ledgers for the Rooney crime syndicate.
*Ciarán Hinds as Finn McGovern: The mark assigned by Sullivan and Connor Rooney, whose death is witnessed by Sullivan's son.
*Anthony LaPaglia as Al Capone: The notorious crime boss. The character was filmed in a scene, but the scene was omitted from the final cut, [cite news | author= | url=http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=12122 | title=Capone chats with Max Allan Collins about why he isn't in ROAD TO PERDITION!!!! | publisher=Ain't It Cool News | date=2002-04-26 | accessdate=2007-06-06 ] and can be found in the DVD's deleted scenes. [cite news | author=Tom Woodward | url=http://www.dvdactive.com/reviews/dvd/road-to-perdition-dts-edition.html | title=Road to Perdition: DTS Edition | publisher=DVDActive.com | date= | accessdate=2007-06-12 ] Actor Alfred Molina was approached to portray Capone, but Molina was forced to turn the role down due to scheduling conflicts with "Frida" (2002). Instead, LaPaglia was cast as Capone. [cite news | author=Evan Henerson | url= | title=The Understudy | publisher=Los Angeles Times | date=2002-01-15 | accessdate=2007-06-06 ]

Production

When the graphic novel "Road to Perdition" was written by Max Allan Collins, his agent saw potential in the story as a film adaptation and showed it to a film agent.cite news | author=Arune Singh | url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=1240 | title=JUST THE FACTS MA'AM: MAX COLLINS TALKS 'ROAD TO PERDITION' | publisher=Comic Book Resources | date=2002-06-16 | accessdate=2007-06-06 ] By 1999, the novel reached Dean Zanuck, who was the vice president of development at the company of his father, producer Richard D. Zanuck. The novel was sent to the elder Zanuck in Morocco, who was there producing "Rules of Engagement" (2000). The Zanucks agreed on the story's prospect and sent it to director-producer Steven Spielberg. Shortly afterward, Spielberg set up the project at his studio DreamWorks, though he did not pursue direction of the film due to his full slate.cite news | author=Jeff Jensen | url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,320333,00.html | title=Killer Instinct | publisher=Entertainment Weekly | date=2002-07-19 | accessdate=2007-06-06 ]

Mendes sought a new project after completing "American Beauty" (1999) and explored prospects including "A Beautiful Mind", "K-PAX", "The Shipping News",cite news | author=Susan Wloszczyna | url=http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/2002/2002-07-12-perdition.htm | title=Power trio hits the 'Road' | publisher=USA Today | date=2002-07-12 | accessdate=2007-06-06 ] and "The Lookout". DreamWorks sent Mendes "Road to Perdition" as a prospect. Mendes was attracted to the story, considering it "narratively very simple, but thematically very complex". One theme that he saw in the story was of the parents' world that is inaccessible to their children. Mendes considered the story's theme to be about how children deal with violence, and whether exposure to violence would render children violent themselves. Mendes described the script as having "no moral absolutes", a factor that appealed to the director.cite news | author=Stax | url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/317/317759p1.html | title=Rumblings on "The Road to Perdition" | publisher=IGN | date=2002-01-24 | accessdate=2007-06-06 ]

Writing

When Spielberg set up "Road to Perdition" at DreamWorks, he contacted screenwriter David Self to adapt the graphic novel "Road to Perdition" by Max Allan Collins into a feature film. Self wrote an initial draft that remained close to the source material and retained most of its dialogue. The screenplay was rewritten by uncredited writers, distancing the script from the graphic novel and leaving the core elements of the story. Mendes, who described the graphic novel as "much more pulpy", sought to reduce the graphic novel's background to its essence, seeking the "nonverbal simplicity" of films like "Once Upon a Time in America" (1984), "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid" (1973), and films by Akira Kurosawa that lacked dialogue.cite news | author=Anthony Teofilo | url=http://www.moviepoopshoot.com/perdition/3.html | title=New Kid On The Block | publisher=Movie Poop Shoot | date= | accessdate=2007-07-25 ] Duplicate language in characters' confrontations in "Road to Perdition" was trimmed to the absolute minimum.cite news | author=Rick Lyman | url=http://film.guardian.co.uk/interview/interviewpages/0,,792264,00.html | title=So, as Paul said to Tom ... | publisher=The Guardian | date=2002-09-15 | accessdate=2007-06-06 ] Mendes described "Road to Perdition" as a "poetic, elegiac story, in which the pictures tell the story". An unspoken scene in the film was the piano duet with Hanks and Newman's characters, intended to convey their relationship without words. In the final 20 minutes of "Road to Perdition", the script was written to have only six lines of dialogue.

Hanks and cinematographer Conrad Hall, who abhorred violence, requested to Mendes that violence in the film would be meaningful and not gratuitous. The violence of early drafts was minimized as the script became more streamlined. Hanks's character, Michael Sullivan, was known as "The Angel" in the graphic novel and invoked fear in those around him, but his infamy is downplayed in the film. In the novel, he is also an alcoholic, an element which was removed in the adaptation. An addition made to the script was one of the film's antagonists, portrayed by Jude Law, to provide a chase element to the Sullivans' departure from the old world.

The author of "Perdition" graphic novel, Max Allan Collins, originally desired to write the adapted screenplay for the feature film, but was not given the opportunity. He chose to stay out of the scripting process in respect to the different style of writing for a different medium, though he served a consultant in the process. Collins praised the addition of Law's character and considered the minimalist use of dialogue to be appropriate.cite news | author=Arune Singh | url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=1446 | title=COLLINS' 'ROAD' TO THE FUTURE | publisher=Comic Book Resources | date=2002-08-07 | accessdate=2007-06-06 ] The author also applauded the film's version of Rooney as "more overtly a father figure" to Sullivan. The author opposed the reduction of profanity in the script, believing that the vulgar language was appropriate for the era. He also contested the path of Sullivan's son in the film. In the graphic novel, the son kills once, and in the film, he does not kill anyone. Collins also disagreed with the narration technique of the film. In the novel, the son narrates the story as an adult, becoming a priest, while in the film, he narrates while still a young boy. [cite news | author=Adam Duerson | url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,321309~1~0~howroadtoperdition,00.html | title='Road' Warrior | publisher=Entertainment Weekly | date=2002-07-17 | accessdate=2007-06-07 ]

Filming

Prior to filming, Mendes sought to produce a period film that would avoid clichés in the gangster genre. He chose to film "Road to Perdition" on location in downtown Chicago and the nearby town of Pullman. The Armory, the state's largest location mainstay which houses the Illinois State National Guard, was provided to the studio by the Illinois State Film Commission. Sets were built inside the Armory, including interiors of the Sullivan family's home and the Rooney mansion. The availability of an inside location provided the crew complete control over the lighting environment, which was established with the rigging of scaffoldings.cite news | author=Ray Zone | url=http://www.theasc.com/magazine/aug02/perdition/index.html | title=Emotional Triggers | publisher=American Cinematographer | date=August 2002 | accessdate=2007-06-06 ] Water served as a major thematic element in the film. The element was pursued after research for the wake at the beginning of the film informed the director that corpses were kept on ice to keep the body from decomposing. The notion was interwoven into the film, with the presence of water being linked to death." [http://www.roadtoperdition.com/home.html Circa 1931.] " Production notes. "Road to Perdition" (2002. Retrieved on 2007-06-06.]

Reception

"Road to Perdition" concluded filming in June 2001, and the studio intended to release the film in the United States the following Christmas, but by September 2001, Mendes requested more time to edit and score for the film. The film was instead scheduled to be released on July 12, 2002 in the United States, an unconventional move that placed the drama among the wide-audience summer films. The film earned $22,079,481 in 1,797 theaters over the opening weekend. The film grossed $104,454,762 in the United States and $76,546,716 in other territories for a worldwide total of $181,001,478. [cite web | url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=roadtoperdition.htm | title=Road to Perdition (2002) | publisher=Box Office Mojo | accessdate=2007-05-20 ]

The film received 82 percent approval out of 198 reviews at the movie review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. [cite web | url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/road_to_perdition/ | title=Road to Perdition (2002) | publisher=Rotten Tomatoes | accessdate=2007-06-12 ] At a similar site, Metacritic, "Road to Perdition" received an average score of 72 out of 100, based on 36 reviews. [cite web | url=http://www.metacritic.com/video/titles/roadtoperdition | title=Road to Perdition (2002): Reviews | publisher=Metacritic | accessdate=2007-06-12 ] Reviewer James Berardinelli praised "Road to Perdition" for its atmosphere and visuals, but he considered the emotional attachment to be lacking the characters with the exception of Sullivan's son, portrayed by Hoechlin. Berardinelli applauded cinematographer Conrad L. Hall for his cinematic work and also appreciated the unhurried pace of a story that could have been sped up. [cite news | author=James Berardinelli | authorlink=James Berardinelli | url=http://www.reelviews.net/movies/r/road_perdition.html | title=Review: Road to Perdition | publisher=ReelViews.net | year=2002 | accessdate=2007-07-25 ] Roger Ebert of the "Chicago Sun-Times" praised Hall's cinematography and the thematic use of water throughout the film. Like Berardinelli, however, Ebert felt an emotional detachment from the characters, saying, "I knew I admired it, but I didn't know if I liked it... It is cold and holds us outside." [cite news | author=Roger Ebert | authorlink=Roger Ebert | url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20020712/REVIEWS/207120304/1023 | title=Road to Perdition | publisher=Chicago Sun-Times | date=2002-07-12 | accessdate=2007-07-25 ] Eleanor Ringel Gillespie of "The Atlanta Journal-Constitution" enjoyed the film's cinematography and Depression-era setting, as well as solid, convincing performances from Hanks and Newman. Gillespie expressed the wish that the film lasted a little longer to explore its emotional core further. [cite news | author=Eleanor Ringel Gillespie | url=http://www.accessatlanta.com/movies/content/shared/movies/reviews/R/roadtoperdition.html | title=Road to Perdition | publisher=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution | date= | accessdate=2007-07-25 ]

Eric Harrison of the "Houston Chronicle" considered "Road to Perdition" "the most brilliant work in this [gangster] genre" since the uncut "Once Upon a Time in America" (1984). Harrison enjoyed the film's characters and considered Self's script "so finely honed that the story can change directions in a heartbeat". Harrison also lent praise to the cinematography, considering the setup to accentuate the characters' emotional development. [cite news | author=Eric Harrison | url=http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ae/movies/reviews/1491161.html | title=Road to Perdition | date= | accessdate=2007-07-25 ] Kirk Honeycutt of "The Hollywood Reporter" considered the performances of Hanks, Newman, and Daniel Craig to be appropriate, though he called Law's performance "almost cartoonish". [cite news | author=Kirk Honeycutt | url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1530784 | title=Road to Perdition | publisher=The Hollywood Reporter | date=2002-07-01 | accessdate=2007-07-25 ] Peter Travers of "Rolling Stone" also complimented Hanks and Newman for their performances, saying, " [They] act together with the confidence of titans, their talents in the service of character, never star ego." Travers enjoyed the combination of Hall's "breathtaking" cinematography and composer Thomas Newman's "evocative" score in the film's scenes. [cite news | author=Peter Travers | url=http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/movie/5947709/review/5947710/road_to_perdition | title=Road to Perdition: Review | date=2002-08-01 | accessdate=2007-07-25 ]

Paul Clinton of CNN said that "Road to Perdition" did not flesh out its multitude of themes. "While these deeply human issues are touched upon, they're never fully explored, and that undermines the sense of greatness to which this movie obviously aspires," Clinton said. Clinton also did not emotionally identify with the film's characters and considered Craig's character as "one-dimensional to the extreme". He also said that the cinematography was too overpowering for the film's storyline, which he considered "weak". [cite news | author=Paul Clinton | url=http://archives.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/Movies/07/11/ca.s02.review.perdition/index.html | title=Review: 'Road to Perdition' scenic trip nowhere | publisher=CNN | date=2002-07-11 | accessdate=2007-07-25 ] J. Hoberman of "The Village Voice" considered "Road to Perdition" to be "grim yet soppy". He described the film, "The action is stilted and the tabloid energy embalmed." [cite news | author=J. Hoberman | url=http://www.villagevoice.com/film/0228,hoberman,36347,20.html | title=Industrial Symphony | publisher=The Village Voice | date=2002-07-10 | accessdate=2007-07-25 ] Stephen Hunter of "The Washington Post" thought that the script lost its path when Sullivan and his son fled their old life, leaving behind the characters and the setting with which Hunter had become familiar. Hunter found the character of Maguire hard to care for and noted clichés in the film. [cite news | author=Stephen Hunter | url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A58465-2002Jul11 | title=Bedeviled by The Details In 'Perdition' | publisher=The Washington Post | date=2002-07-12 | accessdate=2007-07-25 ]

"Road to Perdition" was nominated for six Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor (Paul Newman), Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography (Conrad L. Hall), Best Original Score (Thomas Newman), Best Sound, and Best Sound Editing. Of the film's nominations, the sole award went to Hall for Cinematography. [cite web | url=http://www.oscars.org/75academyawards/nomswins.html | title=75th Academy Award Nominees and Winners | publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | accessdate=2007-05-20 ] The film was also nominated BAFTA Awards for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (Paul Newman), Best Cinematography, and Best Production Design, winning awards for the latter two. [cite web | url=http://www.bafta.org/site/webdav/site/myjahiasite/shared/import/Film_Winners_2000-present.pdf | format=PDF | title=2000-present | publisher=British Academy of Film and Television Arts | accessdate=2007-05-20 ] Hall also won an award from the American Society of Cinematographers for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases. [cite web | url=http://www.theasc.com/awards/history/2002.htm | title=ASC 17th Annual Awards -- 2002 | publisher=American Society of Cinematographers | accessdate=2007-05-20 ] In April 2006, "Empire" recognized "Road to Perdition" as #6 in its list of the top 20 comic book movies. [cite news | author= | url= | title=The 20 greatest comic book movies of all time | publisher=Empire | pages=98-103 | date=April 2006 | accessdate=2007-06-07 ]

Other media

"Road to Perdition" was released on DVD in February 25, 2003 in both full screen and anamorphic widescreen versions. The DVD's features included an audio commentary, deleted scenes, a HBO "Making of" documentary and a photo gallery. [cite news | title = Road to Perdition - DVD Preview | publisher = IGN | date = 2002-11-27 | url = http://uk.dvd.ign.com/articles/378/378861p1.html | accessdate=2007-06-10] Work on the DVD began on the same day that the film's production began, and a collaborative effort among the director, the studio, and the DVD production crew shaped the DVD's content. Due to a limit of space on the DVD, the film's deleted scenes were chosen over a DTS soundtrack. Instead, the DVD included a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. [cite news | author= | url=http://www.dvd.reviewer.co.uk/news/interview.asp?Index=7291 | title=Mark Rowen - DVD Producer of Road to Perdition | publisher=DVD Reviewer | date=2003-03-19 | accessdate=2007-06-12 ] A special edition DVD containing both DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtracks was also released, excluding the "Making of" documentary to fit both soundtracks. [cite news | author=Jeremy Conrad | url=http://dvd.ign.com/articles/387/387328p1.html | title=Road to Perdition - DVD Review | publisher=IGN | date=2006-02-26 | accessdate=2007-06-12 ]

The author of the graphic novel, Max Allan Collins, was hired to write the novelization for the film adaptation. Collins initially turned in a draft that contained 90,000 words, but the licensing at DreamWorks required the author to use only the dialogue from the film and no additional dialogue. Collins reluctantly edited the novelization down to 50,000 words and later said he regretted taking on the task.

References

Further reading

*cite book | author=Max Allan Collins |title=Road to Perdition |others=Novelization of the film |format=Mass Market Paperback |year=2002 |month=June |day=1 |publisher=Onyx |isbn=0451410297

External links

* [http://www.roadtoperdition.com/ Official website]
* [http://www.theasc.com/magazine/aug02/perdition/index.html Cinematography coverage] at American Cinematographer
*imdb title|id=0257044|title=Road to Perdition
*rotten-tomatoes|id=road_to_perdition|title=Road to Perdition
*mojo title|id=roadtoperdition|title=Road to Perdition