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Road to Perdition

Road to Perdition is a 2002 American crime drama film directed by Sam Mendes and written by David Self, based on the graphic novel of the same name by Max Allan Collins and Richard Piers Rayner. It stars Tom Hanks, Paul Newman (in his final live-action theatrical film role), Jude Law, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Stanley Tucci, Daniel Craig and Tyler Hoechlin in his film debut. Set in 1931 during the Great Depression, the film follows a mob enforcer and his son as they seek vengeance against the mobster who murdered the rest of their family. The film explores themes such as father-son relationships and the consequences of violence.

Road to Perdition
Theatrical release poster
Directed bySam Mendes
Screenplay byDavid Self
Based on
Road to Perdition
by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyConrad L. Hall
Edited byJill Bilcock
Music byThomas Newman
Production
company
Distributed by
Release dates
  • July 12, 2002 (2002-07-12) (United States)
  • August 31, 2002 (2002-08-31) (Venice)
Running time
117 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$80 million[1]
Box office$183.4 million[1][2]

Road to Perdition was screened at the 59th Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2002, where it was nominated for the Golden Lion. The film was theatrically released in the United States on July 12, 2002, and was a box office success, grossing over $181 million against its $80 million budget. It was well received by critics, who praised Mendes' direction, Conrad L. Hall's cinematography, and the performances of the cast. At the 75th Academy Awards, the film was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Newman, Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Art Direction. Hall was posthumously awarded the Oscar for Best Cinematography.[3]

Plot edit

The film is set in 1931 during the Great Depression. Michael Sullivan, Sr. was orphaned and then raised by Irish Mob boss John Rooney in Rock Island, Illinois; unbeknownst to his own children, he is now Rooney's most fearsome enforcer. Rooney has come to love Sullivan more than he loves his own biological son, the rash and unpredictable Connor.

Speaking at his brother's wake, Rooney associate Finn McGovern insinuates that Rooney is responsible for his brother's death. Rooney sends Connor and Sullivan to talk with McGovern. Sullivan's older son, twelve-year-old Michael Jr., watches the interaction through a hole in the wall after having hidden in the back of the family car. McGovern denies that his brother stole anything from the mob and implies that Connor was responsible for the theft. Connor shoots McGovern, forcing Sullivan to shoot the other armed witnesses in self-defense. Sullivan learns that Michael saw the shootout and swears him to secrecy.

Rooney sends Sullivan to collect a debt from Tony Calvino. Connor, jealous and afraid, sends a letter with Sullivan for Calvino. Calvino reads the letter and reaches for his revolver, but Sullivan kills both Calvino and his bodyguard. The letter reads, "Kill Sullivan and all debts are paid". Sullivan rushes home. When he arrives, he discovers that Connor has already murdered his wife, Annie, and their younger son, Peter. Michael was unharmed, as he had arrived home late from detention.

Sullivan and Michael flee Rock Island and head to Chicago to meet mobster Frank Nitti. Sullivan offers to work for the Chicago Outfit in exchange for permission to kill Connor. Nitti rejects his offer and advises Sullivan against seeking revenge. Rooney, listening next door with Connor, reluctantly allows Nitti to dispatch freelance killer Harlen Maguire (who doubles as a crime scene photographer) to kill Sullivan. Maguire tracks the Sullivans to a roadside diner. Maguire and Sullivan have a seemingly casual conversation while Michael stays in the car. Sensing the danger, Sullivan escapes the diner through the bathroom window and slashes Maguire's tires before driving away.

Sullivan begins robbing the banks that hold the Outfit's money; in so doing, he hopes to pressure the Outfit into withdrawing their protection from Connor. Sullivan teaches Michael to drive so that he can act as a getaway driver. The mob withdraws money from its banks, frustrating Sullivan's plan. He visits Rooney's accountant, Alexander Rance. Rance stalls Sullivan until Maguire enters with a shotgun. Rance is killed in the crossfire before Sullivan wounds Maguire and escapes with Rooney's ledgers. During the escape, Maguire shoots Sullivan in the shoulder. Michael drives them to a farm after Sullivan collapses from his wound, and an elderly childless husband and wife at the farm help him recover.

The ledgers reveal that Connor has been embezzling from his father. Believing that Rooney will call off the hit on him if he knows the truth, Sullivan heads back to Chicago. Sullivan confronts Rooney at Mass and finds Rooney already knows that Connor has been robbing him. Rooney states that he expects that Connor will either be killed by Sullivan or be killed by Nitti's men after Rooney has died. Nevertheless, Rooney refuses to give up his son. He urges Sullivan to flee with Michael and raise him to be a better man than either of them are. Sullivan later ambushes and kills Rooney's bodyguards and then Rooney himself. Nitti reveals Connor's location after Sullivan promises that the feud will end with Connor's death. Sullivan goes to the hotel where Connor is hiding and kills him.

Sullivan takes Michael to his aunt's beach house in Perdition. Once there, he is ambushed and shot by Maguire inside the house as Michael stands on the beach. Michael appears and points a gun at Maguire, and Sullivan fatally shoots Maguire in the back. Michael tells his father that he could not pull the trigger, and Sullivan nods and smiles as he dies in his son's arms.

Michael drives the car back to the elderly couple's farm. In a voiceover, he says that he grew up there. He adds that he has not held a gun since his father's death. Michael states that when he is asked if his father was a good man, he simply answers, "He was my father".

Cast edit

Production edit

Development edit

When Max Allan Collins wrote the graphic novel Road to Perdition, his book agent saw potential in the story as a film adaptation and showed it to a film agent.[4] By 1999, the novel had reached Dean Zanuck, who was the vice president of development at the company owned by 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.[5]

Mendes sought a new project after completing American Beauty (1999) and explored prospects including A Beautiful Mind, K-PAX, The Shipping News,[6] and The Lookout. DreamWorks sent Mendes Road to Perdition as a prospect, and Mendes was attracted to the story, considering it "narratively very simple, but thematically very complex".[5] He specified one theme being the parents' world 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.[7]

Writing edit

Spielberg first contacted screenwriter David Self to adapt the story into a feature film.[5] Self wrote an initial draft that remained close to the source material and retained most of its dialogue. The screenplay was then rewritten by uncredited writers, distancing the script from the graphic novel but leaving the core elements of the story intact.[4] Some of the harsher aspects of the story were toned down as the script became more streamlined; for example, in some early drafts of the screenplay, Sullivan became an alcoholic, but this element was ultimately absent from the final version.[5]

The story is deeply informed by the Lone Wolf and Cub manga series. Novelist Max Allan Collins acknowledged the influence of Lone Wolf and Cub on his graphic novel Road to Perdition in an interview to the BBC, declaring that "Road To Perdition is 'an unabashed homage' to Lone Wolf and Cub".[8]

Some characters' names were slightly changed from their original versions from the graphic novel: the surname of the real-life gangsters John Looney and his son Connor were changed to Rooney, and the surname of Tom Hanks' character and his family was streamlined from the original O'Sullivan to simply Sullivan. One significant addition to the script was the creation of Maguire to provide a persistent element of pursuit to the Sullivans' departure from the old world.[4]

Hanks and cinematographer Conrad Hall requested Mendes to limit violence in the film to meaningful acts, rather than gratuitous carnage. Hanks' character, Michael Sullivan, is known as "The Angel of Death" in the graphic novel and invokes fear in those around him, but his infamy is downplayed in the film.[7] 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),[5] and films by Akira Kurosawa that lack dialogue.[9] Duplicate language in characters' confrontations in Road to Perdition was trimmed to the absolute minimum.[10] Mendes described Road to Perdition as a "poetic, elegiac story, in which the pictures tell the true story".[6] An example of one such unspoken scene in the film was the piano duet between Rooney and Michael Sr., intended to convey their relationship without words.[10] In the final 20 minutes of Road to Perdition, the script was written to have only six lines of dialogue.[6]

Max Allan Collins originally wanted to write the adapted screenplay, but was not given the opportunity.[4] He chose to stay out of the scripting process out of respect for the different style of writing for a different medium, though he served as a consultant in the process. Collins praised the addition of Maguire and considered the minimalist use of dialogue to be appropriate.[11] The author also applauded the film's version of Rooney as "more overtly a father figure" to Sullivan.[4]

Collins opposed the profanity in the script, as the vulgar language did not fit his vision of the 1930s.[11] 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.[12]

Casting edit

Tom Hanks was sent a copy of the graphic novel by Steven Spielberg while he was filming Cast Away. 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."[5]

Tyler Hoechlin was chosen from over 2,000 candidates to portray Michael Sullivan's son.[5] 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 by a driving instructor.[13]

Paul Newman was unanimously the first choice for the role of John Rooney.[6] The actor prepared by requesting Frank McCourt, the Irish-American author of Angela's Ashes, to record a tape of his voice.[5]

David Self, who created the Maguire character, explained, "He gets so jaded from exposure to this world, he steps over the line from being the storyteller to being the story maker."[9] To capture the "seedy countenance" of the character, Jude Law was given a sallow skin tone that reflected the wear from working in a darkroom. Law's teeth also received a lower gumline and had a rotted look.[13] He was also given a weak, thinning hairline. Maguire's apartment also displays a collection of photographs of dead bodies, some of them actual police stills from the 1930s.[14]

Stanley Tucci was selective about roles in gangster films, believing that Hollywood stereotyped Italian-Americans as gangsters. However, attracted by the prospect of working with Mendes, the actor accepted the role of Nitti, a real-life Mob boss from Chicago.[15]

Anthony LaPaglia was cast as Al Capone and filmed a single scene, which was omitted from the final cut,[16] and can be found in the DVD's deleted scenes.[17] Mendes believed that Capone was more menacing as an unseen presence. Actor Alfred Molina was approached to portray Capone, but Molina was forced to turn the role down due to scheduling conflicts with Frida (2002).[18]

Filming edit

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 Chicago, IL including downtown at the University Club of Chicago, the Chicago neighborhood of Pullman, the Charles G. Dawes House in Evanston, Illinois, as well as the far west Chicago suburb of Geneva, Illinois. General Jones Armory, the state's largest location mainstay which houses units of the Illinois 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.[19]

Atmospherically, the landscape is a violent and magnificent canvas on which is told a mythic story of a father and son in the last period of lawlessness in American history.

Sam Mendes[19]

Mendes collaborated with costume designer Albert Wolsky, production designer Dennis Gassner, and cinematographer Conrad Hall to design the film's style. Wolsky designed costumes that were "very controlled, with soft outlines and very soft silhouettes." Gassner built sets that could capture the cold look of the era. Mendes sought a muted palette for the film, having dark backgrounds and sets with dark, muted greens and grays. Mendes filmed Road to Perdition using the Super 35 format.[19]

The director filmed exterior scenes in Illinois in the winter and the spring of 2001, using real weather conditions such as snow, rain, and mud for the scenes. Mendes considered the usage of bleak weather conditions and the intended coldness of Gassner's exterior locations to define the characters' emotional states. Pullman became a key location to reflect this theme, having several settings, including the town's historic Florence Hotel, easily redressed by the crew for the film.[19] Filming concluded in June 2001.[5]

Cinematography edit

 
Cinematographer Conrad Hall set up atmospheric lighting similar to that found in the paintings of Edward Hopper

To establish the lighting of scenes in Road to Perdition, Mendes drew from the paintings of Edward Hopper as a source of inspiration, particularly Hopper's New York Movie (1939). Mendes and cinematographer Conrad Hall sought to convey similar atmospheric lighting for the film's scenes, applying a "less is more" mantra.[20] Hall also shot at wide apertures that retained one point in the depth of field sharply focused. Hall considered the technique to provide an emotional dimension to the scenes. The cinematographer also used unconventional techniques and materials to create unique lighting effects. One of Hall's methods was to use black silk in daylight exterior scenes to filter the light enough to create an in-shade look.[19]

Hall purposely distanced the camera from Hanks' character, Michael Sullivan Sr., at the beginning of the film to establish the perspective of Sullivan's son, who is unaware of his father's true nature.[5] Hanks's character was filmed as partially obscured and seen through doorways, and his entrances and exits took place in shadows. A wide lens was used to maintain a distance from the character.[19]

Shots in the film were drawn directly from panels in the graphic novel, illustrated by Richard Piers Rayner. An instance of the direct influence is the scene in which Michael Jr. looks up at the Chicago skyline from the vehicle, with the skyline reflected in the vehicle's glass.[9]

A seamless 40-second driving scene, in which Michael Sullivan and his son travel into Chicago from the countryside, was aided by visual effects. The live-action part of the scene was filmed at LaSalle Street, and due to the lack of scenery for part of the drive down LaSalle Street, the background of Balbo Drive was included with the use of visual effects.[21]

Music edit

Themes edit

Consequences of violence edit

[What's] important, in this story, is what the violence does to the person who pulls the trigger, and what it has done to them over the years, how it has gradually corroded them. It has rotted their insides.

Sam Mendes[10]

The film's title, Road to Perdition, is both Michael Sullivan and his son's destination town and a euphemism for Hell, a road that Sullivan desires to prevent his son from traveling. Sullivan, who chooses his violent path early on in life, considers himself irredeemable and seeks to save his son from a similar fate. Said Mendes, "[Sullivan] is in a battle for the soul of his son. Can a man who has led a bad life achieve redemption through his child?"[22] Hanks described Sullivan as a man who achieved a comfortable status through violent means, whose likely repercussions he ignored. Sullivan is a good father and husband, but also has a job that requires him to be a violent killer. The film explores this paradoxical dichotomy. When Sullivan is faced with the consequences, Hanks says, "At the moment we're dropped into the story, it is literally the last day of that false perspective."[14] To keep Sullivan from justifying his violent actions in the film, Mendes omitted scenes in the final cut that had Sullivan explaining his background to his son.[5]

In the film, most of the numerous acts of violence are committed off-screen. The violent acts were also designed to be quick, reflecting the actual speed of violence in the real world. The focus was not on the direct victims of the perpetuated violence, but the impact of violence on the perpetrators or witnesses to the act.[10]

Fathers and sons edit

The film also explores father-son relationships between Michael Sullivan and his son, Sullivan and his boss, John Rooney, and between Rooney and his son Connor. Sullivan simultaneously idolizes and fears Rooney, and Sullivan's son feels the same about his own father. Rooney's son, Connor, has none of Sullivan's redeeming qualities, and Rooney is conflicted about whom to protect: his biological son or his surrogate son. Connor is jealous of his father's relationship with Sullivan, which fuels his actions, ultimately causing a domino effect that drives the film.[14]

Because Sullivan shields his background from his son, his attempt to preserve the father-son relationship is actually harmful. Tragedy brings Sullivan and his son together.[23] Sullivan escapes from the old world with his son, and the boy finds an opportunity to strengthen the relationship with his father. Tyler Hoechlin, who portrayed Michael Jr., explained, "His dad starts to realize that Michael is all he has now and how much he's been missing. I think the journey is of a father and son getting to know each other, and also finding out who they themselves are."[14]

Rain edit

Rain served as a motif in the film. It was developed after researching the wake scene at the beginning of the film informed the director that corpses were kept on ice in the 1930s to keep bodies from decomposing. The notion was interwoven into the film, which linked the presence of rain with death.[13] Mendes reflected on the theme, "The linking of rain with death ... speaks of the mutability of rain and links to the uncontrollability of fate. These are things that humans can't control."[13]

Release edit

With filming concluding in June 2001, the studio intended a United States release for the following Christmas. However, in September 2001, Mendes requested more time. It was rescheduled for release on July 12, 2002, an unconventional move that placed the drama among the action-oriented summer films.[5]

Home media edit

Max Allan Collins, who authored the graphic novel, 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.[11] In 2016, Brash Books published Collins' original version of the novelization as Road to Perdition: The New, Expanded Edition.[24]

Road to Perdition was released on DVD on February 25, 2003, in both full screen and anamorphic widescreen versions. The DVD's features included an audio commentary, deleted scenes, an HBO "Making of" documentary, and a photo gallery.[25] Work on the DVD began on the same day 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.[26] 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.[27]

Road to Perdition was released on Blu-ray Disc on August 3, 2010, featuring a widescreen transfer, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and all of the features from the DVD release.[28]

Reception edit

Box office edit

Road to Perdition opened in 1,798 theaters in its debut weekend, competing against several other new releases including Reign of Fire, Halloween: Resurrection and The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course. It ended up grossing $22.1 million, placing second to holdover Men in Black II.[29] The film then beat Men in Black and Stuart Little 2 to reach the number one spot during its second weekend with $15.4 million.[30] It eventually grossed $104.5 million in the United States and $76.5 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $181 million.[1]

Critical response edit

Road to Perdition received positive reviews from critics, with Conrad L. Hall's cinematography, the production design, and the lead performances of Hanks and Newman being praised. Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 81% based on 216 reviews, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Somber, stately, and beautifully mounted, Sam Mendes' Road to Perdition is a well-crafted mob movie that explores the ties between fathers and sons."[31] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 72 out of 100, based on 36 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews."[32] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.[33]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times praised Hall's cinematography and the thematic use of water. He, too, 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."[34]

Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter praised Hanks, Newman, and Craig but called Law's performance "almost cartoonish."[35] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone also complimented Hanks and Newman: "[They] act together with the confidence of titans, their talents in the service of character, never star ego." Travers cited Hall's "breathtaking" cinematography and composer Thomas Newman's "evocative" score.[36]

Paul Clinton of CNN said: "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 considered Craig's character "one-dimensional to the extreme." He found the cinematography too overpowering for the film's storyline, which he considered "weak."[37] J. Hoberman of The Village Voice described the film as "grim yet soppy." He added: "The action is stilted and the tabloid energy embalmed."[38] Stephen Hunter of The Washington Post thought that the script lost its path when Sullivan and his son fled their old life.[39]

Eleanor Ringel Gillespie of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution enjoyed the film's cinematography and Depression-era setting, as well as the performances of Hanks and Newman. Gillespie expressed the wish that the film lasted a little longer to explore its emotional core further.[40] 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 considered Self's script "so finely honed that the story can change directions in a heartbeat."[41]

Accolades edit

Award Category Recipient Result
Academy Awards[42] Best Supporting Actor Paul Newman Nominated
Best Art Direction Dennis Gassner and Nancy Haigh Nominated
Best Cinematography Conrad L. Hall (posthumous) Won
Best Original Score Thomas Newman Nominated
Best Sound Scott Millan, Bob Beemer and John Pritchett Nominated
Best Sound Editing Scott Hecker Nominated
British Academy Film Awards[43] Best Actor in a Supporting Role Paul Newman Nominated
Best Cinematography Conrad Hall (posthumous) Won
Best Production Design Dennis Gassner Won
Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture Paul Newman Nominated
American Society of Cinematographers[44] Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography Conrad Hall (posthumous) Won
Critics' Choice Movie Awards Top 10 Films 5th place
Best Picture Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Paul Newman Nominated
Best Young Performer Tyler Hoechlin Nominated
Saturn Awards Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film Won
Best Young Actor Tyler Hoechlin Won

In April 2006, Empire recognized Road to Perdition as No. 6 on its list of the top 20 comic book films.[45]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "Road to Perdition (2002)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
  2. ^ "Road to Perdition (2002) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  3. ^ "Winners: Big upsets". Detroit Free Press. 24 March 2003. p. 21. from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022 – via Newspapers.com.  
  4. ^ a b c d e Singh, Arune (16 June 2002). . Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on 18 October 2015. Retrieved 6 June 2007.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Jeff Jensen (19 July 2002). . Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2007.
  6. ^ a b c d Wloszczyna, Susan (12 July 2002). "Power trio hits the 'Road'". USA Today. Retrieved 6 June 2007.
  7. ^ a b Stax (24 January 2002). "Rumblings on 'The Road to Perdition'". IGN. Retrieved 6 June 2007.
  8. ^ Allan Collins, Max. Interviewed by Daniel Etherington,"Graphic Novel: 'Road To Perdition'". Retrieved 22 June 2008.. BBC Collective. 2002-09-19.
  9. ^ a b c Teofilo, Anthony. . ASiteCalledFred. Archived from the original on 15 May 2010. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
  10. ^ a b c d Lyman, Rick (15 September 2002). "So, as Paul said to Tom ..." The Guardian. London. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
  11. ^ a b c Singh, Arune (7 August 2002). . Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 6 June 2007.
  12. ^ Duerson, Adam (17 July 2002). . Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 20 February 2009. Retrieved 7 June 2007.
  13. ^ a b c d "Circa 1931" 2007-06-15 at the Wayback Machine. Production Notes. Road to Perdition (2002). Retrieved 2007-06-06.
  14. ^ a b c d "Fathers & Sons" 2007-06-15 at the Wayback Machine. Production Notes. Road to Perdition (2002). Retrieved 2007-06-06.
  15. ^ O'Connor, Clint (7 July 2002). "Out of Season". The Plain Dealer.
  16. ^ "Capone chats with Max Allan Collins about why he isn't in ROAD TO PERDITION!!!". Ain't It Cool News. 26 April 2002. Retrieved 6 June 2007.
  17. ^ Woodward, Tom. . DVDActive.com. Archived from the original on 28 March 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2007.
  18. ^ Henerson, Evan (15 January 2002). "The Understudy". Los Angeles Times.
  19. ^ a b c d e f Zone, Ray (August 2002). "Emotional Triggers". American Cinematographer. Retrieved 6 June 2007.
  20. ^ Ray Zone. "A Master of Mood". American Cinematographer. Retrieved 6 June 2007.
  21. ^ Heuring, David. "Effecting a Key Transition". American Cinematographer. Retrieved 6 June 2007.
  22. ^ "Taking the Road". Production Notes. Road to Perdition (2002). Retrieved 2007-06-06.
  23. ^ Sperling Reich, J. . Archived from the original on 14 October 2007. Retrieved 25 July 2007.
  24. ^ "Richer Version of Road to Perdition is Released". Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  25. ^ "Road to Perdition – DVD Preview". IGN. 27 November 2002. Retrieved 10 June 2007.
  26. ^ "Mark Rowen – DVD Producer of Road to Perdition". DVD Reviewer. 19 March 2003. Retrieved 12 June 2007.
  27. ^ Conrad, Jeremy (26 February 2006). "Road to Perdition – DVD Review". IGN. Retrieved 12 June 2007.
  28. ^ Road to Perdition Blu-ray, retrieved 19 March 2023
  29. ^ "July 12–14, 2002 Weekend". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
  30. ^ Gray, Brandon (22 July 2002). "'Road to Perdition' Squeaks Past 'Stuart Little 2' in Photo Finish". Box Office Mojo. from the original on 15 May 2023. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  31. ^ "Road to Perdition". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
  32. ^ "Road to Perdition". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
  33. ^ "Find CinemaScore" (Type "Road to Perdition" in the search box). CinemaScore. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  34. ^ Ebert, Roger (12 July 2002). . Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on 7 September 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2007.
  35. ^ Honeycutt, Kirk (1 July 2002). . The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 25 July 2007.
  36. ^ Travers, Peter (1 August 2002). "Road to Perdition: Review". Retrieved 24 April 2010.[dead link]
  37. ^ Clinton, Paul (11 July 2002). . CNN. Archived from the original on 6 November 2007. Retrieved 25 July 2007.
  38. ^ Hoberman, J. (10 July 2002). "Industrial Symphony". The Village Voice. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
  39. ^ Hunter, Stephen (12 July 2002). . The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 16 November 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2007.
  40. ^ Eleanor Ringel Gillespie. . The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on 12 February 2006. Retrieved 25 July 2007.
  41. ^ Harrison, Eric (12 May 2004). . Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on 14 October 2007. Retrieved 1 January 2011.
  42. ^ . Oscars.org. Archived from the original on 3 July 2008. Retrieved 20 May 2007.
  43. ^ "'Pianist,' Kidman win BAFTAs". CNN. 24 February 2003. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
  44. ^ . TheASC.org. Archived from the original on 9 June 2008. Retrieved 20 May 2007.
  45. ^ "The 20 greatest comic book movies of all time". Empire: 98–103. April 2006. Retrieved 1 January 2011.

Further reading edit

  • Oxoby, Marc (2002). "Road To Perdition (Mendes 2002)". Film & History: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Film and Television Studies. 32 (2): 110–112.

External links edit

road, perdition, this, article, about, film, other, works, with, same, title, disambiguation, 2002, american, crime, drama, film, directed, mendes, written, david, self, based, graphic, novel, same, name, allan, collins, richard, piers, rayner, stars, hanks, p. This article is about the film For other works with the same title see Road to Perdition disambiguation Road to Perdition is a 2002 American crime drama film directed by Sam Mendes and written by David Self based on the graphic novel of the same name by Max Allan Collins and Richard Piers Rayner It stars Tom Hanks Paul Newman in his final live action theatrical film role Jude Law Jennifer Jason Leigh Stanley Tucci Daniel Craig and Tyler Hoechlin in his film debut Set in 1931 during the Great Depression the film follows a mob enforcer and his son as they seek vengeance against the mobster who murdered the rest of their family The film explores themes such as father son relationships and the consequences of violence Road to PerditionTheatrical release posterDirected bySam MendesScreenplay byDavid SelfBased onRoad to Perditionby Max Allan CollinsRichard Piers RaynerProduced byRichard D Zanuck Dean Zanuck Sam MendesStarringTom Hanks Paul Newman Jude Law Jennifer Jason Leigh Stanley Tucci Daniel Craig Tyler Hoechlin Liam Aiken Dylan Baker Ciaran HindsCinematographyConrad L HallEdited byJill BilcockMusic byThomas NewmanProductioncompanyThe Zanuck CompanyDistributed byDreamWorks Pictures United States 20th Century Fox International Release datesJuly 12 2002 2002 07 12 United States August 31 2002 2002 08 31 Venice Running time117 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglishBudget 80 million 1 Box office 183 4 million 1 2 Road to Perdition was screened at the 59th Venice International Film Festival on August 31 2002 where it was nominated for the Golden Lion The film was theatrically released in the United States on July 12 2002 and was a box office success grossing over 181 million against its 80 million budget It was well received by critics who praised Mendes direction Conrad L Hall s cinematography and the performances of the cast At the 75th Academy Awards the film was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Newman Best Original Score Best Sound Editing Best Sound Mixing and Best Art Direction Hall was posthumously awarded the Oscar for Best Cinematography 3 Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 3 1 Development 3 2 Writing 3 3 Casting 3 4 Filming 3 5 Cinematography 3 6 Music 4 Themes 4 1 Consequences of violence 4 2 Fathers and sons 4 3 Rain 5 Release 5 1 Home media 6 Reception 6 1 Box office 6 2 Critical response 6 3 Accolades 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External linksPlot editThe film is set in 1931 during the Great Depression Michael Sullivan Sr was orphaned and then raised by Irish Mob boss John Rooney in Rock Island Illinois unbeknownst to his own children he is now Rooney s most fearsome enforcer Rooney has come to love Sullivan more than he loves his own biological son the rash and unpredictable Connor Speaking at his brother s wake Rooney associate Finn McGovern insinuates that Rooney is responsible for his brother s death Rooney sends Connor and Sullivan to talk with McGovern Sullivan s older son twelve year old Michael Jr watches the interaction through a hole in the wall after having hidden in the back of the family car McGovern denies that his brother stole anything from the mob and implies that Connor was responsible for the theft Connor shoots McGovern forcing Sullivan to shoot the other armed witnesses in self defense Sullivan learns that Michael saw the shootout and swears him to secrecy Rooney sends Sullivan to collect a debt from Tony Calvino Connor jealous and afraid sends a letter with Sullivan for Calvino Calvino reads the letter and reaches for his revolver but Sullivan kills both Calvino and his bodyguard The letter reads Kill Sullivan and all debts are paid Sullivan rushes home When he arrives he discovers that Connor has already murdered his wife Annie and their younger son Peter Michael was unharmed as he had arrived home late from detention Sullivan and Michael flee Rock Island and head to Chicago to meet mobster Frank Nitti Sullivan offers to work for the Chicago Outfit in exchange for permission to kill Connor Nitti rejects his offer and advises Sullivan against seeking revenge Rooney listening next door with Connor reluctantly allows Nitti to dispatch freelance killer Harlen Maguire who doubles as a crime scene photographer to kill Sullivan Maguire tracks the Sullivans to a roadside diner Maguire and Sullivan have a seemingly casual conversation while Michael stays in the car Sensing the danger Sullivan escapes the diner through the bathroom window and slashes Maguire s tires before driving away Sullivan begins robbing the banks that hold the Outfit s money in so doing he hopes to pressure the Outfit into withdrawing their protection from Connor Sullivan teaches Michael to drive so that he can act as a getaway driver The mob withdraws money from its banks frustrating Sullivan s plan He visits Rooney s accountant Alexander Rance Rance stalls Sullivan until Maguire enters with a shotgun Rance is killed in the crossfire before Sullivan wounds Maguire and escapes with Rooney s ledgers During the escape Maguire shoots Sullivan in the shoulder Michael drives them to a farm after Sullivan collapses from his wound and an elderly childless husband and wife at the farm help him recover The ledgers reveal that Connor has been embezzling from his father Believing that Rooney will call off the hit on him if he knows the truth Sullivan heads back to Chicago Sullivan confronts Rooney at Mass and finds Rooney already knows that Connor has been robbing him Rooney states that he expects that Connor will either be killed by Sullivan or be killed by Nitti s men after Rooney has died Nevertheless Rooney refuses to give up his son He urges Sullivan to flee with Michael and raise him to be a better man than either of them are Sullivan later ambushes and kills Rooney s bodyguards and then Rooney himself Nitti reveals Connor s location after Sullivan promises that the feud will end with Connor s death Sullivan goes to the hotel where Connor is hiding and kills him Sullivan takes Michael to his aunt s beach house in Perdition Once there he is ambushed and shot by Maguire inside the house as Michael stands on the beach Michael appears and points a gun at Maguire and Sullivan fatally shoots Maguire in the back Michael tells his father that he could not pull the trigger and Sullivan nods and smiles as he dies in his son s arms Michael drives the car back to the elderly couple s farm In a voiceover he says that he grew up there He adds that he has not held a gun since his father s death Michael states that when he is asked if his father was a good man he simply answers He was my father Cast editTom Hanks as Michael Sullivan Tyler Hoechlin as Michael Sullivan Jr Paul Newman as John Rooney based on John Patrick Looney Jude Law as Harlen Maguire Daniel Craig as Connor Rooney Stanley Tucci as Frank Nitti Jennifer Jason Leigh as Annie Sullivan Liam Aiken as Peter Sullivan Dylan Baker as Alexander Rance Ciaran Hinds as Finn McGovern Doug Spinuzza as Calvino David Darlow as Jack Kelly Kerry Rossall as Rooney s Henchman uncredited Anthony LaPaglia as Al Capone uncredited Kevin Chamberlin as Frank the Bouncer Harry Groener as Mr McDougal JoBe Cerny as BankerProduction editDevelopment edit When Max Allan Collins wrote the graphic novel Road to Perdition his book agent saw potential in the story as a film adaptation and showed it to a film agent 4 By 1999 the novel had reached Dean Zanuck who was the vice president of development at the company owned by 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 5 Mendes sought a new project after completing American Beauty 1999 and explored prospects including A Beautiful Mind K PAX The Shipping News 6 and The Lookout DreamWorks sent Mendes Road to Perdition as a prospect and Mendes was attracted to the story considering it narratively very simple but thematically very complex 5 He specified one theme being the parents world 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 7 Writing edit Spielberg first contacted screenwriter David Self to adapt the story into a feature film 5 Self wrote an initial draft that remained close to the source material and retained most of its dialogue The screenplay was then rewritten by uncredited writers distancing the script from the graphic novel but leaving the core elements of the story intact 4 Some of the harsher aspects of the story were toned down as the script became more streamlined for example in some early drafts of the screenplay Sullivan became an alcoholic but this element was ultimately absent from the final version 5 The story is deeply informed by the Lone Wolf and Cub manga series Novelist Max Allan Collins acknowledged the influence of Lone Wolf and Cub on his graphic novel Road to Perdition in an interview to the BBC declaring that Road To Perdition is an unabashed homage to Lone Wolf and Cub 8 Some characters names were slightly changed from their original versions from the graphic novel the surname of the real life gangsters John Looney and his son Connor were changed to Rooney and the surname of Tom Hanks character and his family was streamlined from the original O Sullivan to simply Sullivan One significant addition to the script was the creation of Maguire to provide a persistent element of pursuit to the Sullivans departure from the old world 4 Hanks and cinematographer Conrad Hall requested Mendes to limit violence in the film to meaningful acts rather than gratuitous carnage Hanks character Michael Sullivan is known as The Angel of Death in the graphic novel and invokes fear in those around him but his infamy is downplayed in the film 7 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 5 and films by Akira Kurosawa that lack dialogue 9 Duplicate language in characters confrontations in Road to Perdition was trimmed to the absolute minimum 10 Mendes described Road to Perdition as a poetic elegiac story in which the pictures tell the true story 6 An example of one such unspoken scene in the film was the piano duet between Rooney and Michael Sr intended to convey their relationship without words 10 In the final 20 minutes of Road to Perdition the script was written to have only six lines of dialogue 6 Max Allan Collins originally wanted to write the adapted screenplay but was not given the opportunity 4 He chose to stay out of the scripting process out of respect for the different style of writing for a different medium though he served as a consultant in the process Collins praised the addition of Maguire and considered the minimalist use of dialogue to be appropriate 11 The author also applauded the film s version of Rooney as more overtly a father figure to Sullivan 4 Collins opposed the profanity in the script as the vulgar language did not fit his vision of the 1930s 11 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 12 Casting edit Tom Hanks was sent a copy of the graphic novel by Steven Spielberg while he was filming Cast Away 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 5 Tyler Hoechlin was chosen from over 2 000 candidates to portray Michael Sullivan s son 5 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 by a driving instructor 13 Paul Newman was unanimously the first choice for the role of John Rooney 6 The actor prepared by requesting Frank McCourt the Irish American author of Angela s Ashes to record a tape of his voice 5 David Self who created the Maguire character explained He gets so jaded from exposure to this world he steps over the line from being the storyteller to being the story maker 9 To capture the seedy countenance of the character Jude Law was given a sallow skin tone that reflected the wear from working in a darkroom Law s teeth also received a lower gumline and had a rotted look 13 He was also given a weak thinning hairline Maguire s apartment also displays a collection of photographs of dead bodies some of them actual police stills from the 1930s 14 Stanley Tucci was selective about roles in gangster films believing that Hollywood stereotyped Italian Americans as gangsters However attracted by the prospect of working with Mendes the actor accepted the role of Nitti a real life Mob boss from Chicago 15 Anthony LaPaglia was cast as Al Capone and filmed a single scene which was omitted from the final cut 16 and can be found in the DVD s deleted scenes 17 Mendes believed that Capone was more menacing as an unseen presence Actor Alfred Molina was approached to portray Capone but Molina was forced to turn the role down due to scheduling conflicts with Frida 2002 18 Filming edit Mendes sought to produce a period film that would avoid cliches in the gangster genre He chose to film Road to Perdition on location in Chicago IL including downtown at the University Club of Chicago the Chicago neighborhood of Pullman the Charles G Dawes House in Evanston Illinois as well as the far west Chicago suburb of Geneva Illinois General Jones Armory the state s largest location mainstay which houses units of the Illinois 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 19 Atmospherically the landscape is a violent and magnificent canvas on which is told a mythic story of a father and son in the last period of lawlessness in American history Sam Mendes 19 Mendes collaborated with costume designer Albert Wolsky production designer Dennis Gassner and cinematographer Conrad Hall to design the film s style Wolsky designed costumes that were very controlled with soft outlines and very soft silhouettes Gassner built sets that could capture the cold look of the era Mendes sought a muted palette for the film having dark backgrounds and sets with dark muted greens and grays Mendes filmed Road to Perdition using the Super 35 format 19 The director filmed exterior scenes in Illinois in the winter and the spring of 2001 using real weather conditions such as snow rain and mud for the scenes Mendes considered the usage of bleak weather conditions and the intended coldness of Gassner s exterior locations to define the characters emotional states Pullman became a key location to reflect this theme having several settings including the town s historic Florence Hotel easily redressed by the crew for the film 19 Filming concluded in June 2001 5 Cinematography edit nbsp Cinematographer Conrad Hall set up atmospheric lighting similar to that found in the paintings of Edward HopperTo establish the lighting of scenes in Road to Perdition Mendes drew from the paintings of Edward Hopper as a source of inspiration particularly Hopper s New York Movie 1939 Mendes and cinematographer Conrad Hall sought to convey similar atmospheric lighting for the film s scenes applying a less is more mantra 20 Hall also shot at wide apertures that retained one point in the depth of field sharply focused Hall considered the technique to provide an emotional dimension to the scenes The cinematographer also used unconventional techniques and materials to create unique lighting effects One of Hall s methods was to use black silk in daylight exterior scenes to filter the light enough to create an in shade look 19 Hall purposely distanced the camera from Hanks character Michael Sullivan Sr at the beginning of the film to establish the perspective of Sullivan s son who is unaware of his father s true nature 5 Hanks s character was filmed as partially obscured and seen through doorways and his entrances and exits took place in shadows A wide lens was used to maintain a distance from the character 19 Shots in the film were drawn directly from panels in the graphic novel illustrated by Richard Piers Rayner An instance of the direct influence is the scene in which Michael Jr looks up at the Chicago skyline from the vehicle with the skyline reflected in the vehicle s glass 9 A seamless 40 second driving scene in which Michael Sullivan and his son travel into Chicago from the countryside was aided by visual effects The live action part of the scene was filmed at LaSalle Street and due to the lack of scenery for part of the drive down LaSalle Street the background of Balbo Drive was included with the use of visual effects 21 Music edit Main article Road to Perdition soundtrack Themes editConsequences of violence edit What s important in this story is what the violence does to the person who pulls the trigger and what it has done to them over the years how it has gradually corroded them It has rotted their insides Sam Mendes 10 The film s title Road to Perdition is both Michael Sullivan and his son s destination town and a euphemism for Hell a road that Sullivan desires to prevent his son from traveling Sullivan who chooses his violent path early on in life considers himself irredeemable and seeks to save his son from a similar fate Said Mendes Sullivan is in a battle for the soul of his son Can a man who has led a bad life achieve redemption through his child 22 Hanks described Sullivan as a man who achieved a comfortable status through violent means whose likely repercussions he ignored Sullivan is a good father and husband but also has a job that requires him to be a violent killer The film explores this paradoxical dichotomy When Sullivan is faced with the consequences Hanks says At the moment we re dropped into the story it is literally the last day of that false perspective 14 To keep Sullivan from justifying his violent actions in the film Mendes omitted scenes in the final cut that had Sullivan explaining his background to his son 5 In the film most of the numerous acts of violence are committed off screen The violent acts were also designed to be quick reflecting the actual speed of violence in the real world The focus was not on the direct victims of the perpetuated violence but the impact of violence on the perpetrators or witnesses to the act 10 Fathers and sons edit The film also explores father son relationships between Michael Sullivan and his son Sullivan and his boss John Rooney and between Rooney and his son Connor Sullivan simultaneously idolizes and fears Rooney and Sullivan s son feels the same about his own father Rooney s son Connor has none of Sullivan s redeeming qualities and Rooney is conflicted about whom to protect his biological son or his surrogate son Connor is jealous of his father s relationship with Sullivan which fuels his actions ultimately causing a domino effect that drives the film 14 Because Sullivan shields his background from his son his attempt to preserve the father son relationship is actually harmful Tragedy brings Sullivan and his son together 23 Sullivan escapes from the old world with his son and the boy finds an opportunity to strengthen the relationship with his father Tyler Hoechlin who portrayed Michael Jr explained His dad starts to realize that Michael is all he has now and how much he s been missing I think the journey is of a father and son getting to know each other and also finding out who they themselves are 14 Rain edit Rain served as a motif in the film It was developed after researching the wake scene at the beginning of the film informed the director that corpses were kept on ice in the 1930s to keep bodies from decomposing The notion was interwoven into the film which linked the presence of rain with death 13 Mendes reflected on the theme The linking of rain with death speaks of the mutability of rain and links to the uncontrollability of fate These are things that humans can t control 13 Release editWith filming concluding in June 2001 the studio intended a United States release for the following Christmas However in September 2001 Mendes requested more time It was rescheduled for release on July 12 2002 an unconventional move that placed the drama among the action oriented summer films 5 Home media edit Max Allan Collins who authored the graphic novel 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 11 In 2016 Brash Books published Collins original version of the novelization as Road to Perdition The New Expanded Edition 24 Road to Perdition was released on DVD on February 25 2003 in both full screen and anamorphic widescreen versions The DVD s features included an audio commentary deleted scenes an HBO Making of documentary and a photo gallery 25 Work on the DVD began on the same day 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 26 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 27 Road to Perdition was released on Blu ray Disc on August 3 2010 featuring a widescreen transfer a DTS HD Master Audio 5 1 soundtrack and all of the features from the DVD release 28 Reception editBox office edit Road to Perdition opened in 1 798 theaters in its debut weekend competing against several other new releases including Reign of Fire Halloween Resurrection and The Crocodile Hunter Collision Course It ended up grossing 22 1 million placing second to holdover Men in Black II 29 The film then beat Men in Black and Stuart Little 2 to reach the number one spot during its second weekend with 15 4 million 30 It eventually grossed 104 5 million in the United States and 76 5 million in other territories for a worldwide total of 181 million 1 Critical response edit Road to Perdition received positive reviews from critics with Conrad L Hall s cinematography the production design and the lead performances of Hanks and Newman being praised Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 81 based on 216 reviews with an average rating of 7 5 10 The site s critical consensus reads Somber stately and beautifully mounted Sam Mendes Road to Perdition is a well crafted mob movie that explores the ties between fathers and sons 31 Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 72 out of 100 based on 36 critics indicating generally favorable reviews 32 Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of B on an A to F scale 33 Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times praised Hall s cinematography and the thematic use of water He too 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 34 Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter praised Hanks Newman and Craig but called Law s performance almost cartoonish 35 Peter Travers of Rolling Stone also complimented Hanks and Newman They act together with the confidence of titans their talents in the service of character never star ego Travers cited Hall s breathtaking cinematography and composer Thomas Newman s evocative score 36 Paul Clinton of CNN said 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 considered Craig s character one dimensional to the extreme He found the cinematography too overpowering for the film s storyline which he considered weak 37 J Hoberman of The Village Voice described the film as grim yet soppy He added The action is stilted and the tabloid energy embalmed 38 Stephen Hunter of The Washington Post thought that the script lost its path when Sullivan and his son fled their old life 39 Eleanor Ringel Gillespie of The Atlanta Journal Constitution enjoyed the film s cinematography and Depression era setting as well as the performances of Hanks and Newman Gillespie expressed the wish that the film lasted a little longer to explore its emotional core further 40 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 considered Self s script so finely honed that the story can change directions in a heartbeat 41 Accolades edit Award Category Recipient ResultAcademy Awards 42 Best Supporting Actor Paul Newman NominatedBest Art Direction Dennis Gassner and Nancy Haigh NominatedBest Cinematography Conrad L Hall posthumous WonBest Original Score Thomas Newman NominatedBest Sound Scott Millan Bob Beemer and John Pritchett NominatedBest Sound Editing Scott Hecker NominatedBritish Academy Film Awards 43 Best Actor in a Supporting Role Paul Newman NominatedBest Cinematography Conrad Hall posthumous WonBest Production Design Dennis Gassner WonGolden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actor Motion Picture Paul Newman NominatedAmerican Society of Cinematographers 44 Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography Conrad Hall posthumous WonCritics Choice Movie Awards Top 10 Films 5th placeBest Picture NominatedBest Supporting Actor Paul Newman NominatedBest Young Performer Tyler Hoechlin NominatedSaturn Awards Best Action Adventure Thriller Film WonBest Young Actor Tyler Hoechlin WonIn April 2006 Empire recognized Road to Perdition as No 6 on its list of the top 20 comic book films 45 References edit a b c Road to Perdition 2002 Box Office Mojo Retrieved 24 April 2010 Road to Perdition 2002 Financial Information The Numbers Retrieved 27 January 2021 Winners Big upsets Detroit Free Press 24 March 2003 p 21 Archived from the original on 3 October 2022 Retrieved 3 October 2022 via Newspapers com nbsp a b c d e Singh Arune 16 June 2002 Just The Facts Ma am Max Collins Talks Road To Perdition Comic Book Resources Archived from the original on 18 October 2015 Retrieved 6 June 2007 a b c d e f g h i j k l Jeff Jensen 19 July 2002 Killer Instinct Entertainment Weekly Archived from the original on 13 April 2014 Retrieved 6 June 2007 a b c d Wloszczyna Susan 12 July 2002 Power trio hits the Road USA Today Retrieved 6 June 2007 a b Stax 24 January 2002 Rumblings on The Road to Perdition IGN Retrieved 6 June 2007 Allan Collins Max Interviewed by Daniel Etherington Graphic Novel Road To Perdition Retrieved 22 June 2008 BBC Collective 2002 09 19 a b c Teofilo Anthony On the Road to Perdition ASiteCalledFred Archived from the original on 15 May 2010 Retrieved 24 April 2010 a b c d Lyman Rick 15 September 2002 So as Paul said to Tom The Guardian London Retrieved 24 April 2010 a b c Singh Arune 7 August 2002 COLLINS ROAD TO THE FUTURE Comic Book Resources Archived from the original on 24 September 2015 Retrieved 6 June 2007 Duerson Adam 17 July 2002 Road Warrior Entertainment Weekly Archived from the original on 20 February 2009 Retrieved 7 June 2007 a b c d Circa 1931 Archived 2007 06 15 at the Wayback Machine Production Notes Road to Perdition 2002 Retrieved 2007 06 06 a b c d Fathers amp Sons Archived 2007 06 15 at the Wayback Machine Production Notes Road to Perdition 2002 Retrieved 2007 06 06 O Connor Clint 7 July 2002 Out of Season The Plain Dealer Capone chats with Max Allan Collins about why he isn t in ROAD TO PERDITION Ain t It Cool News 26 April 2002 Retrieved 6 June 2007 Woodward Tom Road to Perdition DTS Edition DVDActive com Archived from the original on 28 March 2012 Retrieved 12 June 2007 Henerson Evan 15 January 2002 The Understudy Los Angeles Times a b c d e f Zone Ray August 2002 Emotional Triggers American Cinematographer Retrieved 6 June 2007 Ray Zone A Master of Mood American Cinematographer Retrieved 6 June 2007 Heuring David Effecting a Key Transition American Cinematographer Retrieved 6 June 2007 Taking the Road Production Notes Road to Perdition 2002 Retrieved 2007 06 06 Sperling Reich J American Perdition Archived from the original on 14 October 2007 Retrieved 25 July 2007 Richer Version of Road to Perdition is Released Retrieved 11 July 2017 Road to Perdition DVD Preview IGN 27 November 2002 Retrieved 10 June 2007 Mark Rowen DVD Producer of Road to Perdition DVD Reviewer 19 March 2003 Retrieved 12 June 2007 Conrad Jeremy 26 February 2006 Road to Perdition DVD Review IGN Retrieved 12 June 2007 Road to Perdition Blu ray retrieved 19 March 2023 July 12 14 2002 Weekend Box Office Mojo IMDb Retrieved 24 April 2010 Gray Brandon 22 July 2002 Road to Perdition Squeaks Past Stuart Little 2 in Photo Finish Box Office Mojo Archived from the original on 15 May 2023 Retrieved 15 May 2023 Road to Perdition Rotten Tomatoes Flixster Retrieved 24 April 2010 Road to Perdition Metacritic CBS Interactive Retrieved 24 April 2010 Find CinemaScore Type Road to Perdition in the search box CinemaScore Retrieved 27 January 2021 Ebert Roger 12 July 2002 Road to Perdition Chicago Sun Times Archived from the original on 7 September 2012 Retrieved 25 July 2007 Honeycutt Kirk 1 July 2002 Road to Perdition The Hollywood Reporter Archived from the original on 30 September 2007 Retrieved 25 July 2007 Travers Peter 1 August 2002 Road to Perdition Review Retrieved 24 April 2010 dead link Clinton Paul 11 July 2002 Review Road to Perdition scenic trip nowhere CNN Archived from the original on 6 November 2007 Retrieved 25 July 2007 Hoberman J 10 July 2002 Industrial Symphony The Village Voice Retrieved 24 April 2010 Hunter Stephen 12 July 2002 Bedeviled by The Details In Perdition The Washington Post Archived from the original on 16 November 2018 Retrieved 25 July 2007 Eleanor Ringel Gillespie Road to Perdition The Atlanta Journal Constitution Archived from the original on 12 February 2006 Retrieved 25 July 2007 Harrison Eric 12 May 2004 Road to Perdition Houston Chronicle Archived from the original on 14 October 2007 Retrieved 1 January 2011 75th Academy Award Nominees and Winners Oscars org Archived from the original on 3 July 2008 Retrieved 20 May 2007 Pianist Kidman win BAFTAs CNN 24 February 2003 Retrieved 24 April 2010 ASC 17th Annual Awards 2002 TheASC org Archived from the original on 9 June 2008 Retrieved 20 May 2007 The 20 greatest comic book movies of all time Empire 98 103 April 2006 Retrieved 1 January 2011 Further reading editOxoby Marc 2002 Road To Perdition Mendes 2002 Film amp History An Interdisciplinary Journal of Film and Television Studies 32 2 110 112 External links edit nbsp Wikiquote has quotations related to Road to Perdition Official website Road to Perdition at IMDb nbsp Road to Perdition at Box Office Mojo Road to Perdition at Rotten Tomatoes Cinematography coverage at American Cinematographer Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Road to Perdition amp oldid 1216763279, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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