A mobster goes to great lengths to protect his son after he witnesses something he never should’ve seen, encountering grave danger from feuding mafia families as they beg, borrow and steal their way across the country.
If you ask someone to name a movie based on a graphic novel, most will go straight for the big names. Marvel, DC, maybe Snowpiercer or Oldboy. I would be willing to bet money on not one person saying Road to Perdition, despite the fact that it’s quite possibly one of the most beautiful and emotionally moving pieces of cinema to be based upon one. It’s gripping, tense, heartbreaking and endearing, not to mention Oscar nominated, gorgeous to look at, and it stars Tom freaking Hanks. Having watched it for the first time as a youngster, this movie still holds up like a fine wine over 20 years later, and there’s a reason it’s always mentioned in my top favorite films lists whenever someone asks for recommendations.
Now, if you asked someone to name a fantastic director, there’s a better chance that someone is going to say Sam Mendes. And that’s well deserved, too, because Mendes sure as hell knows how to put together a great film. Directing from a screenplay by David Self, Road to Perdition is a moving piece of artwork, with every frame looking like it could be hung in an art gallery, and I would say that it’s almost complete perfection from beginning to end. One of the best period pieces ever, set during the Great Depression and following characters who will grab you and never let you go, Mendes manages to capture the feeling of the graphic novel by Max Allan Collins in a film, a hard feat to accomplish, and one he pulls off with amazing finesse.
Of course, this is also thanks largely to the cast. Tom Hanks is great as always, playing a man torn between being a good dad and a brutal mob enforcer, and every decision he makes is played across his face like chess. But even with his fantastic performance, he would be nothing without the absolutely stellar supporting cast. From Paul Newman as the aging father figure of a mob boss, to a pre-James Bond Daniel Craig as the unruly and insidious son, and Jude Law in one of the most vicious and cold-hearted roles I’ve ever seen, from him or otherwise, there’s a whole lot of incredible going on here. Plus, we get dashes of Jennifer Jason Leigh, Stanley Tucci, and Dylan Baker, too. And let’s not forget Tyler Hoechlin as Hanks’ son, a pivotal and difficult role that he manages to pull off in a way that’ll leave your heart in your throat, and on the floor.
The cinematography by the late Conrad L. Hall is on point, too, with every scene lit and colored to pinpoint exact perfection, and the set design and costume work flawlessly captures 1931 as if the film were actually shot during those days. Thomas Newman’s score draws the entire package together with a neat little bow, and we’re all the recipients of the gift that is Road to Perdition as a result.
A truly captivating tale that’ll have you cheering, crying, and everything in between, as we watch an age-old struggle of a man trying to be a good father, even against all odds, Road to Perdition is one graphic novel adaptation that needs to be talked about often, and watched even more.