What stands out in Road to Perdition (2002) is that, despite being a movie about crime, the mafia, and violence, its most devastating moments are quite silent. That may be because, even though the characters are in a violent profession, the movie portrays them essentially as humans, as fathers and sons. And when it’s about “your own,” a whisper is enough to deliver a fatal blow.In this movie, that whisper is delivered by John Rooney (Paul Newman), a mob boss and a fatherly figure to Michael Sullivan Sr. (Tom Hanks), just before Michael shoots him dead.Adapted from Max Allan Collins’ graphic novel, Road to Perdition is a reflection on fathers and sons. The fathers we have and the fathers we fail, the sons we give birth to and the sons we raise and protect. The fathers we become and the sons we dread to see growing up in our image.Here, we are going to look into where the shattering power in “I’m glad it’s you” comes from. We are going to see how a crime story transforms into a tale of acceptance. And we are going to see how vengeance can make way for something tender.A Little Bit of Context Michael Sullivan Sr., when orphaned, was adopted and raised by an Irish mob boss, John Rooney. Rooney has his own son, Connor (Daniel Craig), but he seems to favor Sullivan more. It reflects in the influence and love Sullivan receives from Rooney. Connor, not happy about it, manages to have...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Thursday, 20 November