Road to Perdition
From Free net encyclopedia
Template:Infobox Film Road to Perdition is a graphic novel by Max Allan Collins that was made into a motion picture of the same name in 2002. The film was directed by Sam Mendes and stars Tom Hanks, Tyler Hoechlin, Paul Newman, Jude Law, Daniel Craig and Liam Aiken. Collins wrote the screenplay as well as the novelization of the film. The graphic novel was in part based on the manga Lone Wolf and Cub by Kazuo Koike.
Contents |
Themes
The film's central themes include the bond between fathers and sons, loyalty, revenge, and the search for redemption. The title is a dual reference, firstly to a town called Perdition, and secondly to the threat of eternal damnation that in Catholic theology accompanies murder.
Plot
Michael Sullivan Sr. (Hanks) is a trusted aide to John Rooney (Newman), an Irish American organized crime boss of Rock Island, Illinois. Rooney treats Sullivan as a surrogate son, being closer to him than his own son and heir, the vain and insecure Connor Rooney (Craig).
Sullivan senior and Connor are instructed by Rooney to deal with Finn McGovern, another employee of Rooney's whose brother was murdered by the Rooney organization as punishment for allegedly stealing from them. Unbeknownst to both Michael Sullivan and Connor Rooney, a curious twelve-year-old Michael Sullivan Jr. hides in the car and witnesses the ensuing scene where Connor, acting against his father's wishes, murders McGovern. The shocked Sullivan Sr. swears his son to secrecy, while John Rooney humiliates his son by demanding an apology for his seemingly hotheaded actions. Ostensibly to prevent the threat of Sullivan Jr. divulging the murder he witnessed (but in reality feeling jealous of and threatened by Sullivan Sr.), Connor, again against his father's wishes, attempts to have Sullivan murdered at the same time as personally killing his wife Annie and younger son Peter. Both Sullivan Sr. and Jr. survive the attempt on their lives and flee to Chicago.
When it becomes clear that Al Capone's crime syndicate will not countenance Sullivan's goal of taking revenge on the Rooneys, he develops an elaborate scheme to protect his son and to blackmail the mob into giving up Connor by robbing its secret accounts in banks throughout Chicago. He must do this while evading Maguire (Law), a voyeuristic hit man hired by the Capone organization to complete the eradication of the Sullivans.
It later becomes apparent that Connor has been embezzling money from his father, holding the money under the names of gang members that he has murdered. Confronted by Sullivan with the evidence that his son has been betraying him, John Rooney refuses to stop protecting Connor.
In order to gain revenge and protect his son, Sullivan must then kill the members of Rooney's gang, including John Rooney. He is then able to track down and avenge himself on Connor.
Subsequently, the psychopathic Maguire succeeds in tracking down the Sullivans and murders Michael Sullivan senior. His son has the opportunity to shoot Maguire but does not (Maguire is instead killed by the dying Sullivan Sr.), thus ensuring that Michael, at least, has a chance "to see Heaven".
Selected Cast
- Tom Hanks - Michael Sullivan Sr.
- Paul Newman - John Rooney
- Jude Law - Maguire
- Daniel Craig - Connor Rooney
- Tyler Hoechlin - Michael Sullivan Jr.
- Jennifer Jason Leigh - Annie Sullivan
Trivia
- Australian actor Anthony LaPaglia played notorious mobster Al Capone in the film, but his one and only scene was cut from the theatrical version, removing him from the cast. This was apparently done because the film makers decided it would be more sinister to never actually have Capone grace the screen with his presence. The deleted scene can be found on the DVD of the film.
Awards
The film was nominated for six Academy Awards, winning in the Best Cinematography category.
Differences between novel and film
In the graphic novel, the principal characters' surnames are O'Sullivan and Looney.
In the book, O'Sullivan makes contact with Eliot Ness, the one law enforcement agent he could trust, to supply incriminating information to ensure that The Untouchables would move against the Looneys. Looney is sent to jail in the novel, rather than killed, in order that he live the rest of his life in jail knowing his son is dead.
The graphic novel gives far greater weight to the religious themes of the material. Michael O'Sullivan is dubbed "the Angel" or "the Angel of Death", playing on the angelic connections of his first name. Several key plot elements were also more religious in their depiction than in the film, including the final fate of Michael Jr.
Michael Jr. ends up killing in the graphic novel, at least twice.
The scene involving the gambling boat Quinlan is not featured in the film.
Jude Law's character, Harlan Maguire is not a character in the original graphic novel, but an addition to the screenplay by writer David Self. Law later said that he disliked playing the role since he had to undergo the physical transformation of trimming his hairline, staining his teeth and keeping his appearance pale to play such an ugly character.
In addition, Capone's men never made a move against O'Sullivan in the novel. Out of respect for O'Sullivan's work for them, they only hid Connor, and did not try and kill Michael. This arrangement ends with the loss of revenue from the explosion of the Quinlan, due to a fire set by O'Sullivan.
External links
- Official Website
- {{{2|{{{title|Road to Perdition}}}}}} at The Internet Movie Database
- Comic Book Resources interview with Max Collins about Road to Perditionde:Road to Perdition
fr:Les Sentiers de la perdition it:Era mio padre sv:Road to Perdition