I strolled into "The Road" on opening day in Detroit, Thanksgiving Day 2009. I had been waiting a full year to see the screen adaptation of my favorite book of all-time...The Road by Cormac McCarthy. And let me say...it did not disappoint one bit. "The Road" instantly turned into one of my all-time favorite movies as well.
One thing that post-apocalyptic movies tend to miss or leave untouched is the toll on the human mind and body. And that toll is on full display here. You feel the terrible hunger and pain, you feel the grime on everyone's skin and clothes, the depression, the never-ending cloudiness...and especially, you feel the loneliness. The memories of a time that once was and never will be again. Long days and endless nights of a bleakness that cannot be described. It is beyond frightening and heartbreaking to see the difficulty of trying to raise a child in this environment, much less keep yourself sane. And you are there every difficult step of the way. This is not a story about cool CGI and a post-apocalyptic Earth...it's a story about human behavior and human emotions.
The little things are not missed either...the production team sure did their homework. How would a 8-year-old boy who has never even seen a soda can before approach drinking from it? (Hesitantly was the answer here). How would attempt to filter and drink brown water filled with ash? Nothing grows or swims anymore...so would you resort to eating people? What would you do to a baby in this world...try to somehow raise it, or put it out of it's misery, along with filling your empty stomach, by killing and eating it? What would you do about your family? Risk them getting raped and eaten by savages...or suicide? Rivers flowed what looked like rusty anti-freeze. Rain had an ash tint to it. Trees were dead or dying, a few falling over here and there as the pair walked. It had the feel of what was intended...a complete environmental disaster without a shred of hope for the future.
Onto the cast. Viggo Mortensen is at the top of his game here. You can feel the emotion in his eyes and voice...he gives a truly memorable performance. And how about a big thumbs-up for young Kodi Smit-McPhee?! He was sensational as well. The Boy's first ever can of Coca-Cola (a product as essential to my life nearly as much as electricity) brought tears to my eyes in both the book and the movie. "It's bubbly!" The Boy exclaimed while his father gushed...great moment. And I'd be mistaken not to mention the work of Charlize Theron. Though her screen-time was very limited, she nailed her character in a tremendous performance. Great work by one of the very best actresses Hollywood has ever seen.
It's difficult for a movie to be both utterly bleak and good entertainment at the same time. Schindler's List is one of the few successes that come to mind. But "The Road" will also scrawl it's name on that short list...it's that special.
Along with "Inglourious Basterds", "The Road" is one of the best movies of 2009. For the intellectual mind, I cannot recommend a movie more. 10 out of 10.
Thank you for reading!
JD
One thing that post-apocalyptic movies tend to miss or leave untouched is the toll on the human mind and body. And that toll is on full display here. You feel the terrible hunger and pain, you feel the grime on everyone's skin and clothes, the depression, the never-ending cloudiness...and especially, you feel the loneliness. The memories of a time that once was and never will be again. Long days and endless nights of a bleakness that cannot be described. It is beyond frightening and heartbreaking to see the difficulty of trying to raise a child in this environment, much less keep yourself sane. And you are there every difficult step of the way. This is not a story about cool CGI and a post-apocalyptic Earth...it's a story about human behavior and human emotions.
The little things are not missed either...the production team sure did their homework. How would a 8-year-old boy who has never even seen a soda can before approach drinking from it? (Hesitantly was the answer here). How would attempt to filter and drink brown water filled with ash? Nothing grows or swims anymore...so would you resort to eating people? What would you do to a baby in this world...try to somehow raise it, or put it out of it's misery, along with filling your empty stomach, by killing and eating it? What would you do about your family? Risk them getting raped and eaten by savages...or suicide? Rivers flowed what looked like rusty anti-freeze. Rain had an ash tint to it. Trees were dead or dying, a few falling over here and there as the pair walked. It had the feel of what was intended...a complete environmental disaster without a shred of hope for the future.
Onto the cast. Viggo Mortensen is at the top of his game here. You can feel the emotion in his eyes and voice...he gives a truly memorable performance. And how about a big thumbs-up for young Kodi Smit-McPhee?! He was sensational as well. The Boy's first ever can of Coca-Cola (a product as essential to my life nearly as much as electricity) brought tears to my eyes in both the book and the movie. "It's bubbly!" The Boy exclaimed while his father gushed...great moment. And I'd be mistaken not to mention the work of Charlize Theron. Though her screen-time was very limited, she nailed her character in a tremendous performance. Great work by one of the very best actresses Hollywood has ever seen.
It's difficult for a movie to be both utterly bleak and good entertainment at the same time. Schindler's List is one of the few successes that come to mind. But "The Road" will also scrawl it's name on that short list...it's that special.
Along with "Inglourious Basterds", "The Road" is one of the best movies of 2009. For the intellectual mind, I cannot recommend a movie more. 10 out of 10.
Thank you for reading!
JD