Road to Perdition: The Jeffreview

There was a man, stoic and duty-bound, who worked for the most powerful man anyone knew. He worked as a killer. He was good at his job and he was close to his master. But he was betrayed by another man, an ambitious man. His wife was murdered, and the murderer was protected by the same powerful man he served. With no sanctuary remaining to him, he fled with his son, a mere child, to embark upon a mission of vengeance. His ability to kill ruthlessly kept the two of them alive as he struck out at the forces of his betrayer. He traveled with his son, accumulating ill-gotten money with which to wage his war upon his betrayer, and evidence of the man's treachery.

This is the story of a Japanese comic book called Lone Wolf and Cub. It debuted in the 1970s and was published for decades before its story finally concluded. In a nation where comic books are regarded as a legitimate literary medium, Lone Wolf and Cub is generally considered one of the best. It is the story of a samurai, Itto Ogami, the Imperial executioner. He worked directly for the Emperor himself. This was a highly coveted position, one of great honor and rewards, and was only awarded to a samurai who had demonstrated unparalleled skill with the sword. But a rival clan, the Yagyu, plotted Ogami's downfall and their plot resulted in Ogami's wife's death and Ogami being branded a traitor. Rather than submit to execution for a crime he didn't commit, Ogami took his infant son and hit the road, working as an assassin for hire as he waged his war against the treacherous Yagyu. For a couple of descriptions/reviews of Lone Wolf and Cub, go to:
http://www.darkhorse.com/news/features/pg_feview/item_40092a/ and http://www.iofilm.co.uk/feats/deckard/020916_lonewolf.shtml.

This is also the story of Road to Perdition, the film adaptation of the 1998 graphic novel written by Max Allen Collins and illustrated by Richard Piers Rayner. Collins' story takes place in Prohibition-era America, the days of Al Capone. Tom Hanks plays Michael Sullivan, a gunman for his town's crime boss, John Rooney, played by Paul Newman, who looks upon Sullivan almost as a son. When Rooney's greedy and ambitious son, Connor, murders a man to cover his own embezzlement, it is witnessed by Sullivan's 12-year-old son, Michael (Jr.). While Sullivan and the elder Rooney seem satisfied that the child will keep his mouth shut about the underworld dealings he has witnessed, Connor is not so certain, and acts to have the entire Sullivan family killed. Sullivan and his son survive, though his wife and other son do not. Knowing that Connor is protected by the elder Rooney, Sullivan takes to the road to seek his revenge, bringing his son with him.

The entire time I was watching this movie, I constantly saw parallels to Lone Wolf and Cub. It was only later that I read that Collins had intended his graphic novel to be a homage to Lone Wolf and Cub. When does a tribute cross the line to become a ripoff? When is a homage not a homage? You may have heard that this movie was based on a comic book (graphic novel). Now you know that it is a movie based on a comic book based on another comic book. And why not? The original Lone Wolf and Cub comic book inspired numerous movies and TV shows. So at least you know that it works. And like Lone Wolf and Cub, Road to Perdition is based very loosely upon actual events and people.

Max Allen Collins is a mystery writer. He has written comic books as well as novels (the kind with no pictures), mostly in the mystery genre. Much of his work has been set in the early 20th century, and involved historical events and people. His graphic novel Road to Perdition featured a number of historical figures, including Al Capone and Frank Nitti. While the protagonist of his book, Michael O'Sullivan Jr., and his father were fictional characters, the Looney family (changed for the movie version to "Rooney") did exist, as did some of the incidents.

The film was the second directed by Sam Mendes, a theatrical director who made a splash in Hollywood by winning an Oscar for his first movie, American Beauty. It was beautifully shot by American Beauty cinematographer Conrad Hall, setting a haunting and evocative mood. Tom Hanks' stoic portrayal of Sullivan may leave you cold, the slow pacing of the film may bore you, but I don't think anyone will fault the cinematography of this film. It's wintertime. It's the Midwest. I can tell you from experience that this means the palette will be limited to greys and, well, other greys. It's well-suited to the bleak tableau which Hall paints.

Hanks is robbed of many of his tools in this film. His charming eyes and twinkling smile are nowhere to be seen, for Michael Sullivan is a grim and brooding killer, and a distant father. Sullivan carries an unstated self-loathing that belies his understanding of the grim world which he inhabits and the truth of his own damnation. His only hope is that his son might not follow in his footsteps. It is in this way that we know that he loves his son, a fact of which we are certain by the movie's end. We don't know if Sullivan enjoys being a killer, or the steps he took to arrive at this place in his life. We only know that he's good at it and shows no reluctance to do it when the situation calls for it.

The movie is actually told from the point of view of the son, effectively played by Tyler Hoechlin, who looks like Julianna Margulies would if she were a 12-year-old boy. This has an effect of distancing the audience from the movie as we see events through the eyes of an observer, uninvolved in what is transpiring, rather than a participant. Road to Perdition is not unlike a Takeshi Kitano movie in the way it broods quietly, punctuated by occasional violence. But this is a Hollywood movie: its pacing, while a bit slow in a couple of bits, is not nearly as contemplative or full of silences, and the violent moments are not as gunshot-sudden.

Jude Law appears as a devilish sociopath hired to kill Sullivan. He goes about his job with a bloodcurdling glee and about as much conscience as an android gigolo. His character is a little flat though, existing mostly to provide Sullivan with the impetus to keep moving. Paul Newman is good in his role as the patriarch of the Rooney clan, making him almost effortlessly sympathetic.

Road to Perdition is about the relationships between fathers and their sons. It's about killers and redemption. It's about honor and duty and revenge. Just as any good samurai movie should be.

© 2002 Jeffrey P. Hui