Road to Perdition [2002]

Hanks plays Michael Sullivan, a family man but also a hit man in the employ of mob boss John Rooney (Newman). A surrogate father-figure to Sullivan, Rooney also has a wayward real son, Connor (Daniel Craig), whose duplicity leads to a deadly alienation between the Rooney family and Sullivan. Forced to go on the run with his own 12-year-old son, Michael junior (Tyler Hoechlin), Sullivan seeks both revenge and a way to prevent his boy from one day taking the same dark road as himself. Thus the Road to Perdition becomes both a literal and metaphorical journey for the protagonists.

It wouldn't matter that there's little tension or doubt about the outcome, except that Hanks' character is all too clearly a decent chap at heart, thus undermining from the outset any sense of a real "journey" towards redemption. It remains a delight to see all the principals acting at their peak and so capably directed, but ultimately Road to Perdition seems like a series of magnificently staged set-pieces that doesn't quite add up to the sum of its parts.

On the DVD: Road to Perdition is presented in an anamorphic version of its original theatrical 2.35:1 ratio with accompanying Dolby 5.1 or DTS sound options. Both picture and sound make the most of the impeccable photography and production design. Extras are a feature commentary from Mendes, a series of deleted scenes also with optional commentary, a standard HBO making of featurette, plus photos, text notes and a trailer for the CD soundtrack. --Mark Walker

Conrad L. Hall, to whom the film is dedicated, uses photography to its fullest advantage, winning a posthumous Academy Award for his cinematography. Shot in winter, the film preserves the flavor of early black and white films, with sharp, black and white contrasts, and the use of dark, somber colors, when colors are used at all. Snow, ice, rain, and fog perpetuate the cold darkness of the scenes, and Hall's use of architectural framing is stunning, particularly his repeated use of windows. He keeps the scenes simple, often focusing on individual characters in contexts which reveal their emotional states. In one memorable scene, for example, light from a streetlight outside a window casts the shadow of rain on an interior wall, suggesting both tears and cleansing.

Newman is terrific as an aging mob boss, playing his part with just the right mix of frailty and cruelty (for which he won the Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor). Tyler Hoechlin, as 12-year-old Mike, Jr., reveals his fears and vulnerabilities at the same time that he shows his satisfaction as the center of his father's attention (winning Best Young Actor from the Broadcast Film Critics Association). Jude Law, made up to look like a true, wild-eyed psychopath, is terrifying. Hanks looks menacing and acts viciously until his concern for his son overtakes all other emotions in a moving, climactic scene, though it is difficult to accept him in the role of a hitman. Period music adds style to the film, and original music by Thomas Newman (and the title song by John Williams), mostly piano and strings, preserves the period tone. Filled with the horror of violence and considerable suspense, this noir film gives a human face to mob violence in the thirties.


Very good, though not quite a 'classic'....   February 24, 2003
M J Birch
14 out of 18 found this review helpful

A very good film indeed, a decent script and an excellent period of history to base the film around (prohibition).
The imagery is vivid and effective and, of course, it always seems to be raining throughout the film reflecting the mood it is trying to create.
I like the way in which Hanks is potrayed ambigously, neither a hero nor villain, and the viewer can decide whether they feel sympathy or not.
BUT....despite so many fine points to make, and despite my enjoyment of the film, it didn't take long for it to sift from my memory and I was wondering why this was. Now I think I know - quite simply, Hanks doesn't quite have what it takes to pull off such a role - a hardened killer with little conscience. I wasn't convinced when he had to kill in cold blood and this is Hanks' only flaw as an actor - he isn't as versatile as Gene Hackman or Harvey Keitel, he has to stick with 'nice-guy characters' and therefore I did not give it 5 stars.


Intimate Dark Gangster Movie With A Predictable End   March 30, 2003
Roy Matthews
14 out of 14 found this review helpful

Road To Perdition is a 1930's classic gangster movie.
It doesn't have the violence and the epic feeling of other big gangster movies such as Godfather, Goodfellas or Casino. It has more of a feeling of intimacy and sorrow.

It has a few shocks that many main stream films would not put in your 'feel good' action/thriller movie. The crux of the plot is a young boy's realisation that his respected but somewhat distant father is a highly placed mob gunman.

Key moments of violence are portrayed less as gung-ho but in a more with world weary, down beat style. One act of revenge is particularly surprising in that its delivered coldly, briefly and virtually unseen.

The downbeat feeling is the heart of the movie. Newman ( who is particularly good ) and Hanks are reflective, sad and sensitive. It is never stated, but you can't help feeling Hank's gangster character is a decent man led astray in the past. Newman also shows regret at his life as a crime boss and his inability to control the events that unfold. Most scenes take place at night, in shadow or in the pouring rain giving a nice dark texture to events.

The ending is predictable and the final scenes had me gritting my teeth in frustration to stifle the need to shout 'behind you!!'.

Overall this is a good movie that satisfies. If you like Tom Hanks, Gangster movies or serious thrillers I would recommend
Road To Perdition.


Best gangster flick since The Godfather   November 3, 2002
Miss Sophie Benger (Oxford, United Kingdom)
12 out of 12 found this review helpful

Tom Hanks again enhances his credentials as a first class actor for the incredible "Road to Perdition". He moves away from the typical sensitive romantic man to a hardened husband and father who must desperately separate his working life and his home life to preserve at least a little of his soul. However, when the two worlds collide with two ear-splitting gun-shots, Hanks must leave his previous life behind and begin a journey of sadness and self-revelation as he seeks simultaneously a violent revenge on his enemies and a deeper relationship with his son.

The cinematography and music add an extra depth of atmosphere to an already chilling environment. The use of shadow at key moments highlights the distance between good and evil and how we all veer from one to the other at some stage in our lives. Musical dynamics ensure tension as the audience becomes fearful of a shock around the next corner. Sometimes we may become lulled into a false sense of security by the seemingly calm surroundings, but in a film such as this, calmness can only ever be a deception.

This is certainly a film to be watched more than once. There is so much imagery to be dwelt upon and character development to be considered, that it will be necessary to buy the DVD as soon as it is released!


No warm and fuzzy Tom Hanks here   August 10, 2006
Joseph Haschka (Glendale, CA USA)
10 out of 11 found this review helpful

ROAD TO PERDITION is a major departure for Tom Hanks. He kills people. And don't expect to see Meg Ryan as a cutely tousled co-star. Besides, it rains so much in this film that it would've made her look like a wet doggie.

It's 1931, and Hanks plays Michael Sullivan, an enforcer working for crime family head John Rooney (Paul Newman). Though Rooney has an adult son, Connor (Daniel Craig), he regards Michael with the affection reserved for the son he wishes he'd had. Sullivan himself has a wife and two boys. In the film's first half-hour, Connor botches a job assigned to him and Michael by the elder Rooney. In the aftermath of the debacle, Connor kills Michael's wife and his youngest (and favorite) son for reasons too complicated to explain here. For the remainder of the film, Sullivan goes on the lam with Michael, Jr. (Tyler Hoechlin) seeking revenge against Connor while evading a hit man named Maguire (Jude Law) reluctantly hired by John Rooney to pre-empt the reprisal slaying of his own badly behaved offspring.

Those who are turned off by ROAD TO PERDITION because of the bloody deeds performed by Hollywood Good Fella Hanks, akin to watching Jimmy Stewart in the role of someone who kicks puppies, are perhaps missing the point. This is a powerful tale of the dynamic that exists between fathers and sons: John and Connor, Michael and Michael, Jr., and John and Michael. This is a Guy Story to be sure. Indeed, in the entire film there's no female lead worth mentioning and very little softness. Much of the magnificent cinematography is done in the dark, brooding atmospheres that one could expect in the Male's Cave. That's not to say that there's no humor. There's a sequence of scenes depicting the young Sullivan's mastering of driving skills that, in the context of the storyline, is positively priceless.

Early on, Newman, the mega-star of yesterday, and Hanks, the mega-star of today, play a piano duet (for real). But the sentimental favorite of ROAD TO PERDITION has to be the former. Newman's blue eyes continue to shine out of a face that age (and perhaps cosmetic surgery) has only made more striking. Moreover, Paul's Rooney expresses more raw emotion in his relationship with his son than Tom's Sullivan can manage in his. Perhaps this was an intentional part of the script, or perhaps it's a reflection of the accomplished old pro that Newman is and Hanks has yet to be. And Law is especially good as the sinister and creepy Maguire whose hits provide fodder for his day job.

I liked this film a lot because it focuses on the nature of the father/son relationship, something which Tinseltown usually ignores. This is one of the better films of 2002.