It's dramatic, funny, heart-warming, and terrifying. In my second viewing, this is a film that fires on all the proverbial cylinders. And thus begins a spiraling tale of tragedy, revenge, redemption, honor, and betrayal. One night, Rooney sends his literal son Conner ( James Bond himself, Daniel Craig) with Sullivan to talk some sense into a disgruntled employee, but Sullivan's son, Michael Jr., sneaks along and accidentally witnesses Conner gunning down the disgruntled employee. Since Sullivan was practically raised by Rooney, they are a symbolic father and son, a relationship that echoes Robert Duvall in 'The Godfather'. Tom Hanks play Michael Sullivan, a loving father and prohibition era mob enforcer for boss John Rooney (a grizzly Paul Newman).

Regardless of your own personal stories, of which there are infinite tales more interesting than mine, 'Road to Perdition' is part gripping thriller, part meditation on the mythic qualities of the father-son relationship. In growing up, in having a more complicated relationship with my own father, 'Road to Perdition' finally rings true. Perhaps my expectations are lower now, not gripped with overhyped enthusiasm, but I suspect it's also about having had a chance to live 30 percent more of my life. Sitting down for this film with a huge TV and a home theater format able to nearly replicate a real cinematic experience, I finally had the reaction I had hoped for some years ago. I didn't love it and thus, haven't seen the movie in its entirety since.

In order to do so clearly, let me also present this reviewer's history with the film:Īs a fan of 'American Beauty' and the legendary cinematographer Conrad Hall ( 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid', 'Cool Hand Luke'), I was practically frothing at the mouth when this film premiered back in '02. I'll get to the technical details in a moment, but first let's discuss the movie. This is what the Blu-ray format is all about. 'It's natural law: sons are put on this Earth to trouble their fathers.'Ī mythic graphic novel transposed to the silver screen, 'Road to Perdition' was released in 2002 and, save for the thundering soundtrack, it still feels like it could have been a product of Hollywood's Technicolor-fueled golden age.

Graphic novel road to perdition