road to Perdition
REVIEW
Nighthawks (1942) - Edward Hopper
When I first saw “Road to Perdition” I was immediately drawn in to its somber tone and its muted colors. Director Sam Mendes and cinematographer Conrad Hall wanted the film to look and feel like an Edward Hopper painting and knowing that I understood this film completely. Many times through out my life I found myself staring into Hopper’s “New York Movie” or “Nighthawks” only to be staring into a piece of art that captured the feeling of being alone in a big city, where most of life happens in the quite moments surrounded by strangers. I would look at the man sitting alone at that dinner’s counter top and realize I know him well. These paintings and this film give me great satisfaction in knowing that I am not alone and that staring into them brings me comfort in a way that only a great piece of art can.
I don’t know why there is always a hint of sadness in me just below the surface but there is. It is not something that I wish would go away, it has been there for so long I take comfort in it. It is the reason I love this movie and the art I am attracted to. At this point it just is who I am and when I saw this movie for the first time I was taken back by it. It was the first film I loved for its tone, style and imagery. Accompanied by Thomas Newman’s score this film tapped into a part of me that no other film had done before.
I realize this is very personal but this is the whole reason I created this site. To let my love of the movies be written down and connect with an audience who can and want to understand where I am coming from. I am a movie lover through and through. It is a defining characteristic about me and this love has guided my whole life. The combination of story, images and music done well can connect with an audience and open them up to ideas and emotions that beg to be explored. Watching “Road to Perdition” I understood the characters because I understood the emotion, the fact the story takes place within the Irish Mob only made it more human.
Living the life of a mobster is a life that I will never understand. I will never carry with me the weight of their world and what it takes to survive in it. This story does not glamorize the mob nor does it shame it, we see it as just another facet of life. Fathers and sons, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters all exist in this world but the consequences of this world are written in stone. There is a weight that must be carried that few will ever understand. Through the tone and style of the this film we connect with Mike Sullivan’s (Tom Hanks) pain. It is not outwardly expressed because in his world he would not survive or thrive. He is just a man and this is just another story about men.
I could talk about this film for hours, analyze it with you all and discuss the relationship between father and son or we could discuss how Sam Mendes created a film that is so beautiful that every shot could be a still photo worthy of being lost in for hours. We could also discuss the fact that this was Paul Newman’s last live action film and what a blessing and a shame that is. I love this movie. As much as we could analyze its characters and themes, I feel this film is better appreciated just being lost in its images and being felt. That is where I truly connect with this film.
I have built into this review something I do to appreciate this film and the art that inspired it. I wanted to share it with you all. You may find it as therapeutic as or calming as I do. This is will not be for everyone but some of you may enjoy this. Here it is:
I listen to the track “Road to Perdition” off the “Road to Perdition” soundtrack and stare into Edward Hopper’s “New York Movie.” I have attached the track and the image to this review. Press the play button and then If you like click on the image of the painting and it should fill up your screen. Just sit and get lost the image.
