The Road

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The Road

May 27th 2010 02:42

No, not a Hollywood remake of Fellini’s La Strada, but rather the next adaptation of a Cormac McCarthy novel. The Road (2009) was originally due for release in November 2008, but was delayed for additional post-production and then delayed again for 2009 Oscar contention, but it failed to score any nominations. I haven’t read the novel, so I’m working just off the movie experience, and although it’s a powerfully atmospheric movie with a heavy mood and tone, I felt it wasn’t dramatically as dynamic or powerful as I had hoped, especially coming from John Hillcoat, director of the brilliant Western nightmare, The Proposition (2005).

The Road Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smitt-McPhee

Viggo Mortensen as father and Kodi Smit-McPhee as his son

The movie begins, rather predictably and ordinarily, with a dream sequence; a flashback if you will, of happier, tranquil times between a man and a woman. The colour is suddenly vanquished, and the man from the dream jolts awake, lying amongst ash and debris, heavily bearded, clothed and filthy. A boy, obviously his son, lies beside him trying to keep warm. They continue on their quest, heading south to the ocean, pushing a supermarket trolley of supplies along a desolate road, through a ruined landscape.

The cause of the apocalypse is never explained. The closest references are two lines of dialogue; The man’s voiceover at the beginning; “There was a long shear of bright light, and a series of low concussions,” and the old man they encounter later along the road who states “I knew this was going to happen. There were warnings. Other people said it was a con, but I knew.” Because of the ash that covers almost everything, and the seismic activity, it seems most likely that a super-volcano erupted. Combined with Global Warming. The novel never explains the cause of the apocalypse, and wisely, screenwriter Joe Penhall doesn’t attempt to either.

Cannibal bad people own the road

As in the novel none of the characters are named. The speaking parts are simply, the man (Viggo Mortensen), the boy (Kodi Smit-McPhee), and the woman (Charlize Theron), who is the wife of the man and mother to the boy, but she only features in flashbacks. Robert Duvall (almost unrecognizable, but I know his voice too well) plays the old man, the always watchable Garret Dillahunt plays a hungry member of one of the marauding cannibal gangs, and at movie’s end is the appearance of Guy Pearce with very bad teeth who is credited as “Veteran” on screen, and "The Final Man", on imdb.com. Molly Parker plays his wife (Motherly Woman/The Final Woman).

WARNING! CONTAINS SPOILERS

The Road Viggo Mortensen and Charlize Theron

Happier times for husband and wife (Charlize Theron)

It is the ending of the movie that I have the most trouble with. I’m not sure how close it sticks to the novel, but it felt rushed and a tad rounded. In keeping with the grim, uncompromising tone throughout the movie, I was quite happy to accept an alternate ending where the boy would continue on by himself. Maybe the veteran character and his family (including two young kids and a dog) are the “good people”, but maybe not. The dramatic resolve was simply too nice, too neat an ending. Still in the first half there are some genuinely nerve-wracking scenes, especially the one inside the cannibal’s house.

Robert Duvall as hungry old man

And what the hell’s with the no thumbs business?! A black man (Michael Kenneth Williams) who attempts to steal all of the man and boy’s possessions whilst the boy sleeps and the man has swum out to a beached freight ship to seek food, has no thumbs. Okay, fine, perhaps he lost them in an industrial accident. But then the veteran/final man also has no thumbs. Okay, I don’t buy the coincidence, and I’m stumped on what the symbolism can mean. They wouldn’t have eaten their thumbs out of starvation, that’s just plain stupid. They wouldn’t have chopped them off to differentiate between good people and bad people (cannibals), that’s just as stupid. Not sure if this perplexing imagery is in the novel or not, so I’m left intrigued and a little frustrated.

The look of the movie is magnificent, almost entirely devoid of colour, just a bleak, grey world of burnt, dead trees, derelict vehicles, abandoned houses and buildings, and the toxicity of the ash all around. The production filmed in the ruined areas of Katrina-stuck New Orleans, as well as the volcanic territory of Mount St. Helens. Additionally a bunch of CGI artists added further desolation and grading. The mood is further enhanced by the score from Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, who also provided the music for The Proposition.

The cast and acting is excellent. Even if Robert Duvall, Guy Pearce and Garrett Dillahunt aren’t on screen for very long, they command their scenes beautifully. Viggo Mortensen lost a lot of weight for the role (in one scene it reminded me of Christian Bale’s frightening methodology for The Machinist), and he delivers a terrific central performance alongside Aussie newcomer Kodi Smit-McPhee who also delivers the goods.

The Road Kodi Smitt-McPhee and Guy Pearce

Good man or bad man?

The Road is a science fiction nightmare for those anchored to the plight of humankind on Earth. Themes of trust and loyalty, love and tenderness are juxtaposed by the terror of savagery and animal desperation. A world created by God, which God has now abandoned … It is essentially another study in the machinations and ramifications or violence, both implicit and explicit, which is central to John Hillcoat’s oeuvre, as well as Cormac McCarthy’s, but it’s not nearly as powerful as The Proposition or No Country for Old Men (2007).

Here's the teaser trailer:

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Posted By: Bryn - Category: movie reviews

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Comments

19 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Deni

May 27th 2010 02:51

Abstract Magick
Cinema Herald

Coincidentally, I have tried to watch this movie just two days ago but it was just way too depressing to look at. I had problems sitting still and focusing on it.

Good review!

Comment by Bryn

May 27th 2010 03:28

Horrorphile

Deni, you can't have butterflies and daffodils in every movie!

Comment by David O'Connell

May 27th 2010 03:41

20/20 Filmsight
Screen Fanatic

Loved this film Bryn for its very uncompromising vision. I actually went to see it twice in the cinema and enjoyed it only marginally less the second time. It does definitely lack dramatic urgency or a strong narrative thrust to compel it along but the bleakness is so absorbing that you kind of get drawn into its web I think. I had problems with the weak ending too - which seemed like a cop-out - but apparently it's very true to the novel.

Comment by Deni

May 27th 2010 04:54

Abstract Magick
Cinema Herald

Hey Bryn,

I have my share of dark and morbid movies...you mentioned The Proposition which I saw for the first time about a week ago and that was brilliant...but this one, I just couldn't sit through.

I struggled to sit through the other John Hillcoat movie, Ghosts... of the Civil Dead. I would love to practice my writing by doing a review of that one but I'm afraid I couldn't go through that experience again. The movie was excellent but the atmosphere was so thick and foreboding that I was actually terrified.

I have to be in the right frame of mind to watch these types of movies. Perhaps I'll wait for a rainy day.

Comment by Bryn

May 27th 2010 04:55

Horrorphile

David, it wasn't so much that it lacked the dramatic urgency, in fact the scenes involving the cannibals were some of the more riveting stuff I've seen in a while, but very much so the last third's narrative thrust and, yeah, the weak ending. True to the novel, you say? Wow, in that case McCarthy's No Country for Old Men pissed all over it in terms of dramatic irony.
I'm planning on reading Blood Meridian very soon ...

Comment by Deni

May 27th 2010 04:57

Abstract Magick
Cinema Herald

BTW, Bryn, I know you were kidding.

Have you seen Ghosts...of the Civil Dead?

I guess I should do a search on your site...duh on me.

Comment by Bryn

May 27th 2010 05:00

Horrorphile

Deni, few have braved Ghosts ... of the Civil Dead. I rate it as one of the disturbing movies I've ever seen. I've still yet to review it here on my blog. My comment about butterflies and daffodils was a tease of course. Have you seen Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man?

Comment by Bryn

May 27th 2010 05:04

Horrorphile

Deni, yeah, always pays to check my extensive movie review archive before asking ... Cheers!

Comment by Matt Shea

May 27th 2010 08:56

Nice review Bryn. I haven't seen this, I think mainly because I've been all apocalypsed out recently. Will have to pull it out of the vid store at some stage. The book is very good, though - you should definitely take a look.

Comment by ShaunK

May 27th 2010 14:40

Screen Adventure

Hey Bryn

I'm basically with you on this - I was a little underwhelmed by the dramatic meat of the story - after the proposition and no country...I was waiting for great things and while the film was a savage emotional experience that scarred my inner child I still felt a little underwhelmed - I think this came down to the fact that they would've had a ten hour film on their hands if they really wanted to truly mine the full depth of the story.

Either way - the film still did it for me - I had tears in my eyes as I was leaving the theater despite the slightly awkward ending - plus the score by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis was beautiful

As for Blood Meridian - thats one hell of a mammoth read!

Comment by JohnDoe

May 27th 2010 16:34

Film & TV on DVD

Hi Bryn,

This one had such a limited run at cinemas over here that i missed it..good news it was released this week on DVd and I plan to watch it ASAP...

Great review anyway, the book was an engrossing read but I can see where problems may arise in cinema translation.

Agree that Ghosts of the Civil Dead was quality disturbia and The Proposition is masterful.