'The Road' leads to a masterpiece
Jordan Climie
Issue date: 2/1/10 Section: M2 (Arts & Entertainment)
Calling something “The best movie you’ve never seen” is a bold statement, but I feel confident in my words when I tell you about the magnificence that is “The Road.”
This film tells the story of a father and son (characters appropriately named The Father and The Son) who travel toward some sort of safe haven after an apocalyptic event has destroyed much of the world, and most people with it. Along the way, they encounter survivors and situations that test their strength as father and son and make them question their humanity.
Humanity is the key word in this equation. Due to all wildlife and plantlife dying, the only food that’s left is what’s been canned and hoarded by groups of human survivors. Some of those survivors, though, have turned to cannibalism to keep their stomach full. One scene is particularly horryfying when The Father (Viggo Mortensen) discovers a human meat locker. The terror he feels as he runs scared from witnessing this is felt throughout the audience.
What The Father and his son forge ahead for is the hope that heading south, things will get better. The Mother has already died after the event that brought about the end of the world, and the one thing The Father says to The Son through their travels are that things will be better when they are far away from this carnage and with The Mother again. This refers to, of course, their death.
The act of dying is somewhat of an oncoming blessing for the duo, as The Father carries a gun with two bullets in it for him and his son to use. This is the best alternative, compared to starving to death or being eaten alive by cannibalistic survivors.
I had the fortune to read the book by Cormac McCarthy (“No Country for Old Men”) before watching the film. Constant changes to the release date made me wait far too long to watc h this anticipated movie. Unlike other book-to-movie adaptations, Director John Hillcoat stays true to McCarthy’s vision.
What is truly terrifying is how this season of awards has completely missed “The Road” in their nominations. Only a BAFTA nomination for Best Cinematography has been issued so far (the Oscar nominations have not been announced at press time). This is truly highway robbery, no pun intended, as Viggo Mortensen gives the performance of a lifetime as he struggles with keeping his child safe in a world that no longer knows that word.
Currently, “The Road” is only showing at the Maple Art Theatre in Bloomfield Hills, so take a chance to see a truly excellent film. If you have the stomach to handle the humanity.
This film tells the story of a father and son (characters appropriately named The Father and The Son) who travel toward some sort of safe haven after an apocalyptic event has destroyed much of the world, and most people with it. Along the way, they encounter survivors and situations that test their strength as father and son and make them question their humanity.
Humanity is the key word in this equation. Due to all wildlife and plantlife dying, the only food that’s left is what’s been canned and hoarded by groups of human survivors. Some of those survivors, though, have turned to cannibalism to keep their stomach full. One scene is particularly horryfying when The Father (Viggo Mortensen) discovers a human meat locker. The terror he feels as he runs scared from witnessing this is felt throughout the audience.
What The Father and his son forge ahead for is the hope that heading south, things will get better. The Mother has already died after the event that brought about the end of the world, and the one thing The Father says to The Son through their travels are that things will be better when they are far away from this carnage and with The Mother again. This refers to, of course, their death.
The act of dying is somewhat of an oncoming blessing for the duo, as The Father carries a gun with two bullets in it for him and his son to use. This is the best alternative, compared to starving to death or being eaten alive by cannibalistic survivors.
I had the fortune to read the book by Cormac McCarthy (“No Country for Old Men”) before watching the film. Constant changes to the release date made me wait far too long to watc h this anticipated movie. Unlike other book-to-movie adaptations, Director John Hillcoat stays true to McCarthy’s vision.
What is truly terrifying is how this season of awards has completely missed “The Road” in their nominations. Only a BAFTA nomination for Best Cinematography has been issued so far (the Oscar nominations have not been announced at press time). This is truly highway robbery, no pun intended, as Viggo Mortensen gives the performance of a lifetime as he struggles with keeping his child safe in a world that no longer knows that word.
Currently, “The Road” is only showing at the Maple Art Theatre in Bloomfield Hills, so take a chance to see a truly excellent film. If you have the stomach to handle the humanity.
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