“The Road goes ever on and on, down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the Road has gone, And I must follow, if I can. . .” – a beautiful, and perhaps slightly ominous passage by J.R.R. Tolkien. . . it is also a quotation that speaks to the post-apocalyptic film simply titled The Road (2009).
Based upon Cormac McCarthy’s novel of the same name, John Hillcoat transports us into a bleak, dying land – with frequent earthquakes and mass fires, it is as if every tree had burned and volcano erupted, an ashen world that no long shines. All animals are extinct, bugs are now almost mythical creatures. Less driven by plot than a credo, our main characters, a Man (Viggo Mortensen) and his Boy (Kodi Smit-McPhee), follow a well worn road to the coast. Though it is likely that there is no more hope there than where they came from, it is their goal, the thing that drives them forward, their lifeblood.
Though the road, like anywhere else in a dying landscape, is extremely dangerous. An easier terrain to traverse, remaining survivors, good and bad, utilize it as a path. Thieves lurk in the shadows, while cannibals patrol – looking for their next meal. Houses have been thoroughly picked over, food and water nearly nonexistent.
There are also rare moments of excitement and joy – sharing something that to us seems so commonplace – a Coke with one another, or stumbling upon a cache of canned food – you’ve never seen anyone more happy to see canned pears and Spam, each discovery, a momentary chance to regain a semblance of the past.
Flashbacks provide us with a vision of their history – the utter beauty of life before the event, a bright explosion that changed the world, their adaptation once the planetary event occurs, and how they cope before they hit the road. We meet their wife and mother (Charlize Theron). Some of these momentary glimpses are simply gut-wrenching, for when the Man stumbles upon a piano on their journey, he reflects on a lovely memory where he and his wife played a duet. . . this is then followed by him having to destroy it for warmth – the pains of looking back at both good and bad in a world filled with misery.
While on the road, the pair cross with numerous people – superb cameos played by Robert Duvall, Guy Pearce, Molly Parker, Michael Kenneth Williams and Garret Dillahunt. I will leave it to you to guess which of them is trustworthy, which are not. . . though a few will have you pondering even after the movie ends. Also, it seems as though someone is following them, paranoia seeping into the Man’s mind (he is not the only one to feel this way).
Filmizon.com’s Nikolai Adams with Viggo Mortensen – Man in The Road
At its heart though, this is a tale of a father and son. After all, how is one to raise a child on a dying planet, a place where violence and danger are all that is left? Featuring raw performances from the acting pair, their bond and closeness is palpable. Even though the father holds a pistol to his son’s head at times (unwilling for him to fall into the hands of rapists and cannibals) and teaches him how to use it (despite only having two bullets remaining), he attempts to raise him right – teaching him that there is still a humanity in this world. He calls it “carrying the fire”, a symbol of the heart and soul that must burn inside if you are to traverse the daunting terrain. Yet, in this complicated world, there are moments where it is the boy teaching the man a thing or two about compassion and caring – for a parents’ primal protective instincts often trump a belief and sympathy for others. One particular acting moment must be pointed out – a sequence in which Man washes Boy’s hair in an ice cold stream. Smit-McPhee was told by Hillcoat that it would only be shot twice – but, the sun came out and ruined the second take. Doing it a third time, Smit-McPhee started to cry (but miraculously stayed in character, playing the scene), Mortensen fed off the situation and this, the unplanned and visceral third take, is what is used in the feature.
A visually striking picture set in a bleak world, The Road is a powerful tale of transcending just surviving, finding a way to evolve (and come of age) in less than nourishing surroundings. Carried by powerhouse performances by the two leads, as well as excellent supporting roles, realistic desolate locales (most of the film was shot in real locations – limited CGI), and a simplistic goal driven plot, The Road is a journey well worth taking. . . though it may go ever on and on.