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By
MELINA GEORGIS
Director Sam Mendes' first film after the critically acclaimed "American Beauty" is a rare thing: a film so faithful to the original source, the Max
Allan Collins and Richard Piers Rayner graphic novel, that it looks as if it was filmed on paper. Each shot, impeccably framed, often slightly
asymmetrical, dripping in deep shadows and in a subdued, inky palette, could very easily have been a panel from its original medium. Shot by the late
and brilliant Conrad Hall this is without a doubt a film of immense visual beauty.
It is the mobster era. In 1931 Chicago a dedicated, methodical hit man (Tom Hanks) happens to also be a devoted husband and father of two young boys.
When his two disparate worlds collide and his wife and younger son are assassinated, he takes his surviving son and begins a six-week road trip of
revenge. Paul Newman (how can a man remain so gorgeous even in his '70s?) co-stars as a mob boss and surrogate father to Hanks, and Jude Law is
another star hit man sent to take the vengeful killer out.
The critics liked "The Road to Perdition" and one can easily see why: it is an accomplished, involving and atmospheric piece of celluloid.
But...there's one thing wrong with it and that's Hanks. Now, Hanks is rightly acknowledged as a great actor and from what I know of his life he seems
a mighty decent fellow too. And I think that's the problem. He's too wholesome-looking for the role. Remember, he's supposed to start out as basically
ruthless, an emotionally repressed man who only seems to feel loyalty for his mob family. That loyalty is resolved into hatred, and eventually he does
express affection for his son. But he remains an essentially nasty man. But I'm afraid that no amount of thespian ability can disguise Hank's basic
wholesomeness. He just comes across as a nice guy from the get-go. That makes his internal conflict seem hollow. Even the small mustache he sports
seems an add on, something external to the real man's persona. Maybe it's just my problem, my confusion over my benevolent preconception of who Hanks
really is, all the nice characters he's played over the years, and this role. I hope so, because "The Road to Perdition" is a film worth savoring and
I'd hate to convince you to skip it because of this criticism.
The highlight of the extra features is the intelligent, articulate and thorough commentary track by Mendes; it covers the production from both a
technical and a thematic perspective. There are also 11 deleted scenes (Mendes chose not to include any on the "American Beauty" DVD and was roundly
booed by fans). Most simply expand rather than replace parts of the film. I felt that some should have been kept in, but that's of course a personal
thing and I'm no director. I just liked the film and wanted more of it. Rounding up the offerings is a 25-minute HBO featurette that's notable since
it features Hall's last interview, and there are production notes, filmographies, and a gallery of 50 publicity stills. There are no theatrical
trailers.
The DVD is available in Dolby Digital and DTS versions, and it is in 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen and the transfer is flawless (a full screen
version is also, unfortunately, available for philistines). |
