Editing Road to Perdition

{{short description|2002 American crime drama film by Sam Mendes}}
{{About|the film|other works with the same title}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Road to Perdition
| image          = Road to Perdition Film Poster.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Sam Mendes]]
| producer       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Richard D. Zanuck]]
* [[Dean Zanuck]]
* Sam Mendes
}}
| screenplay     = [[David Self]]
| based_on       = {{Based on|''[[Road to Perdition (comics)|Road to Perdition]]''|[[Max Allan Collins]]|[[Richard Piers Rayner]] by [[ DC Comics]]}}
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Tom Hanks]]
* [[Paul Newman]]
* [[Jude Law]]
* [[Jennifer Jason Leigh]]
* [[Stanley Tucci]]
* [[Daniel Craig]]
<!-- Per billing block. Only actors who appear on poster go into infobox -->
}}
| music          = [[Thomas Newman]]
| cinematography = [[Conrad Hall|Conrad L. Hall]]
| editing        = [[Jill Bilcock]]
| studio         = [[The Zanuck Company]]
| distributor    = {{Plainlist|
* [[DreamWorks Pictures]] (United States)
* [[20th Century Fox]] (International)
}}
| released       = {{Film date|2002|07|12|United States}}
| runtime        = 117 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $80 million<ref name="mojo" />
| gross          = $183.4 million<ref name="mojo">{{cite web |url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=roadtoperdition.htm |title=Road to Perdition (2002) |publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=2010-04-24}}</ref><ref name="numbers">{{Cite web |url= https://m.the-numbers.com/movie/Road-to-Perdition |title= Road to Perdition (2002) - Financial Information |work= [[The Numbers (website)|The Numbers]] |access-date= January 27, 2021 }}</ref>
}}
'''''Road to Perdition''''' is a 2002 American [[crime drama film]] directed by [[Sam Mendes]] and written by [[David Self]], based on the first volume of the [[DC Comics]] [[Road to Perdition (comics)|graphic novel series of the same name]] by [[Max Allan Collins]] and [[Richard Piers Rayner]]. It stars [[Tom Hanks]], [[Paul Newman]] (in his final live-action theatrical film role), [[Jude Law]], [[Jennifer Jason Leigh]], [[Stanley Tucci]] and [[Daniel Craig]]. Set in 1931 during the [[Great Depression]], the film follows a [[mob enforcer]] and his son as they seek vengeance against the mobster who murdered the rest of their family. The film explores themes such as father-son relationships and the consequences of violence.

''Road to Perdition'' was screened at the [[59th Venice International Film Festival]] on August 31, 2002, where it was nominated for the [[Golden Lion]]. The film was theatrically released in the United States on July 12, 2002, and was a box office success, grossing $183.4 million against its $80 million budget. Critics received it well and praised Mendes's direction, [[Conrad Hall|Conrad L. Hall]]'s cinematography, and the cast's performances. At the [[75th Academy Awards]], the film was nominated for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]] for Newman, [[Academy Award for Best Original Score|Best Original Score]], [[Academy Award for Best Sound|Best Sound Editing]], [[Academy Award for Best Sound|Best Sound Mixing]], and [[Academy Award for Best Production Design|Best Art Direction]]. Hall was posthumously awarded the Oscar for [[Academy Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110531042/winners-big-upsets/ |title=Winners: Big upsets |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221003210924/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110531042/winners-big-upsets/ |date=March 24, 2003 |access-date=October 3, 2022 |archive-date=October 3, 2022 |page=21 |publisher=[[Detroit Free Press]] |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |url-status=live}} {{Open access}}</ref>

==Plot==
Michael Sullivan, Sr., was orphaned and then raised by [[Irish Mob]] boss [[John Patrick Looney|John Rooney]] in [[Rock Island, Illinois|Rock Island]], [[Illinois]]. Unbeknownst to his own children, Sullivan is now Rooney's most fearsome enforcer. Rooney has come to love Sullivan more than he loves his own biological son, the rash and unpredictable Connor.

Speaking in 1931 at his brother's wake, Rooney's associate Finn McGovern insinuates that Rooney is responsible for his brother's death. Rooney sends Connor and Sullivan to talk with McGovern. Sullivan's older son, twelve-year-old Michael Jr., watches the interaction through a hole in the wall. McGovern denies that his brother stole anything from the mob and implies that Connor was responsible. Connor shoots McGovern, forcing Sullivan to shoot the other armed witnesses in self-defense. Sullivan learns that Michael saw the shootout and swears him to secrecy.

Rooney sends Sullivan to collect a debt from Tony Calvino. Connor, jealous and afraid, sends a letter with Sullivan for Calvino. Calvino reads the letter and reaches for his revolver, but Sullivan kills both Calvino and his bodyguard. The letter reads, "Kill Sullivan and all debts are paid". Sullivan rushes home. When Sullivan arrives, he discovers that Connor has already murdered his wife, Annie, and their younger son, Peter. Michael was unharmed, as he had arrived home late from detention.

Sullivan and Michael flee Rock Island and head to Chicago to meet mobster [[Frank Nitti]]. Sullivan offers to work for the [[Chicago Outfit]] in exchange for permission to kill Connor. Nitti rejects his offer and advises Sullivan against seeking revenge. Rooney, listening next door with Connor, reluctantly allows Nitti to dispatch [[Contract killing|freelance killer]] Harlen Maguire to kill Sullivan. Maguire tracks the Sullivans to a roadside diner. Maguire and Sullivan converse seemingly casually while Michael stays in the car. Sensing the danger, Sullivan escapes the diner through the bathroom window and slashes Maguire's tires before driving away.

Sullivan begins robbing the banks that hold the Outfit's money. In so doing, Sullivan hopes to pressure the Outfit into withdrawing their protection from Connor. Sullivan teaches Michael to drive so that he can act as a getaway driver. The mob withdraws money from its banks, which interferes with Sullivan's plan. Sullivan visits Rooney's accountant, Alexander Rance. Rance stalls Sullivan until Maguire enters with a shotgun. Rance is killed in the crossfire before Sullivan wounds Maguire and escapes with Rooney's ledgers. During the escape, Maguire shoots Sullivan in the shoulder. Michael drives them to a farm after Sullivan collapses from his wound, and an elderly childless husband and wife at the farm help him recover.

The ledgers reveal that Connor has been [[Embezzlement|embezzling]] from his father using dead men's names, including McGovern's. Believing that Rooney will call off the hit on him if he knows the truth, Sullivan heads back to Rock Island. Sullivan confronts Rooney at Mass and discovers that Rooney already knows Connor has been robbing him. Rooney states that he expects that Connor will either be killed by Sullivan or by Nitti's men after Rooney has died. Nevertheless, Rooney refuses to give up his son. Rooney urges Sullivan to flee with Michael and raise him to be a better man than either of them are. Sullivan later ambushes and kills Rooney's bodyguards before reluctantly and mournfully killing Rooney himself. Nitti reveals Connor's location after Sullivan promises that the feud will end with Connor's death. Sullivan goes to the hotel where Connor is hiding and kills him.

Sullivan takes Michael to his aunt's beach house in Perdition. Once there, Sullivan is ambushed and shot by Maguire inside the house as Michael stands on the beach. Michael appears and points a gun at Maguire, and Sullivan fatally shoots Maguire in the back. Michael tells his father that he could not pull the trigger, and Sullivan nods and smiles as he dies in his son's arms.

Michael drives the car back to the elderly couple's farm. In a voiceover, Michael says that he grew up there. Michael adds that he has not held a gun since his father's death. Michael states that when he is asked if his father was a good man, he simply answers, "he was my father".

==Cast==
{{multiple image
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| footer = ({{abbr|L|Left}} to {{abbr|R|right}}) [[Tom Hanks]] (pictured in 2023), [[Paul Newman]] (1958), and [[Jude Law]] (2024)
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{{Div col}}
* [[Tom Hanks]] as Michael Sullivan
* [[Tyler Hoechlin]] as Michael Sullivan Jr.
* [[Paul Newman]] as John Rooney (based on [[John Patrick Looney]])
* [[Jude Law]] as Harlen Maguire
* [[Daniel Craig]] as Connor Rooney
* [[Stanley Tucci]] as [[Frank Nitti]]
* [[Jennifer Jason Leigh]] as Annie Sullivan
* [[Liam Aiken]] as Peter Sullivan
* [[Dylan Baker]] as Alexander Rance
* [[Ciarán Hinds]] as Finn McGovern
* Doug Spinuzza as Calvino
* [[David Darlow (actor)|David Darlow]] as Jack Kelly
* [[Kerry Rossall]] as Rooney's Henchman (uncredited)
* [[Anthony LaPaglia]] as [[Al Capone]] (uncredited)
* [[Kevin Chamberlin]] as Frank the Bouncer
* [[Harry Groener]] as Mr. McDougal
* [[JoBe Cerny]] as Banker 
{{Div col end}}

==Production==
===Development===
When [[Max Allan Collins]] wrote the graphic novel ''[[Road to Perdition (comics)|Road to Perdition]]'', his book agent saw potential in the story as a film adaptation and showed it to a film agent.<ref name="Facts">{{cite news |author=Singh, Arune |url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=1240 |title=Just The Facts Ma'am: Max Collins Talks 'Road To Perdition' |work=[[Comic Book Resources]] |date=2002-06-16 |access-date=2007-06-06 |archive-date=18 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018104447/http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=1240 |url-status=dead }}</ref> By 1999, the novel had reached Dean Zanuck, who was the vice president of development at the company owned by his father, producer [[Richard D. Zanuck]]. The novel was sent to the elder Zanuck in Morocco, who was there producing ''[[Rules of Engagement (film)|Rules of Engagement]]'' (2000). The Zanucks agreed on the story's prospect and sent it to director-producer [[Steven Spielberg]]. Shortly afterward, Spielberg set up the project at his studio [[DreamWorks Pictures|DreamWorks]], though he did not pursue the film's direction due to his full slate.<ref name="Killer">{{cite magazine |author=Jeff Jensen |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,320333,00.html |title=Killer Instinct |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=2002-07-19 |access-date=2007-06-06 |archive-date=13 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413144011/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,320333,00.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Sam Mendes sought a new project after completing ''[[American Beauty (1999 film)|American Beauty]]'' (1999) and explored prospects including ''[[A Beautiful Mind (film)|A Beautiful Mind]]'', ''[[K-PAX (film)|K-PAX]]'', ''[[The Shipping News (film)|The Shipping News]]'',<ref name="Power">{{cite news|author=Wloszczyna, Susan |url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/2002/2002-07-12-perdition.htm |title=Power trio hits the 'Road'|work=[[USA Today]]|date=2002-07-12|access-date=2007-06-06}}</ref> and ''[[The Lookout (2007 film)|The Lookout]]''. DreamWorks sent Mendes ''Road to Perdition'' as a prospect, and Mendes was attracted to the story, considering it "narratively very simple, but thematically very complex".<ref name="Killer"/> Mendes specified one theme being the parents' world is inaccessible to their children. Mendes considered the story's theme to be about how children deal with violence, and whether exposure to violence would render children violent themselves. Mendes described the script as having "no moral absolutes", a factor that appealed to the director.<ref name="Rumblings">{{cite news |author=Stax|url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/317/317759p1.html |title=Rumblings on 'The Road to Perdition'|work=[[IGN]] |date=2002-01-24|access-date=2007-06-06}}</ref>

=== Writing ===
Spielberg first contacted screenwriter [[David Self]] to adapt the story into a feature film.<ref name="Killer"/> Self wrote an initial draft that remained close to the source material and retained most of its dialogue. The screenplay was then rewritten by uncredited writers, distancing the script from the graphic novel but leaving the core elements of the story intact.<ref name="Facts"/> Some of the harsher aspects of the story were toned down as the script became more streamlined. For example, in some early drafts of the screenplay, Sullivan became an [[alcoholic]], but this element was ultimately absent from the final version.<ref name="Killer"/>

The story is deeply informed by the ''[[Lone Wolf and Cub]]'' [[manga]] series. Novelist Max Allan Collins acknowledged the influence of ''Lone Wolf and Cub'' on his graphic novel ''Road to Perdition'' in an interview with the BBC, declaring that "''Road To Perdition'' is 'an unabashed homage' to ''Lone Wolf and Cub''".<ref>Allan Collins, Max. Interviewed by Daniel Etherington,{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/collective/A832808 |title=Graphic Novel: 'Road To Perdition' |access-date=2008-06-22}}. ''BBC Collective''. 2002-09-19.</ref>

Some characters' names were slightly changed from their original versions in the graphic novel: the surname of the real-life gangsters [[John Patrick Looney|John Looney]] and his son Connor were changed to Rooney, and the surname of Tom Hanks' character and his family was streamlined from the original O'Sullivan to simply Sullivan. One significant addition to the script was the creation of Maguire to provide a persistent element of pursuit to the Sullivans' departure from the old world.<ref name="Facts" />

Hanks and cinematographer [[Conrad Hall]] requested Mendes to limit violence in the film to meaningful acts rather than gratuitous carnage. Hanks' character, Michael Sullivan, is known as "The Angel of Death" and invokes fear in those around him, but his infamy is downplayed in the film.<ref name="Rumblings"/> Mendes, who described the graphic novel as "much more pulpy", sought to reduce the graphic novel's background to its essence, seeking the "nonverbal simplicity" of films like ''[[Once Upon a Time in America]]'' (1984), ''[[Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid]]'' (1973),<ref name="Killer"/> and films by [[Akira Kurosawa]] that lack dialogue.<ref name="Self"/> Duplicate language in characters' confrontations in ''Road to Perdition'' was trimmed to the absolute minimum.<ref name="Paul">{{cite news |author=Lyman, Rick |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2002/sep/15/features.review |title=So, as Paul said to Tom ...|work=[[The Guardian]] |date=2002-09-15 |access-date=2010-04-24 |location=London}}</ref> Mendes described ''Road to Perdition'' as a "poetic, elegiac story, in which the pictures tell the true story".<ref name="Power"/> An example of one such unspoken scene in the film was the piano duet between Rooney and Michael Sr., intended to convey their relationship without words.<ref name="Paul"/> In the final 20 minutes of ''Road to Perdition'', the script was written to have only six lines of dialogue.<ref name="Power"/>

Max Allan Collins originally wanted to write the adapted screenplay but was not given the opportunity.<ref name="Facts"/> Collins chose to stay out of the scripting process out of respect for the different writing styles for a different medium, though he served as a consultant. Collins praised the addition of Maguire and considered the minimalist use of dialogue to be appropriate.<ref name="Future">{{cite news|author=Singh, Arune|url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=1446|title=COLLINS' 'ROAD' TO THE FUTURE|work=[[Comic Book Resources]]|date=2002-08-07|access-date=2007-06-06|archive-date=24 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924141224/http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=1446|url-status=dead}}</ref> The author also applauded the film's version of Rooney as "more overtly a father figure" to Sullivan.<ref name="Facts"/>

Collins opposed the profanity in the script, as the vulgar language did not fit his vision of the 1930s.<ref name="Future" /> Collins also contested the path of Sullivan's son in the film. In the graphic novel, the son kills once; in the film, Michael does not kill anyone. Collins also disagreed with the film's narration technique. In the novel, the son narrates the story as an adult, becoming a priest, while in the film, Michael narrates while still a young boy.<ref>{{cite magazine |author=Duerson, Adam |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,321309~1~0~howroadtoperdition,00.html |title='Road' Warrior |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=2002-07-17 |access-date=2007-06-07 |archive-date=20 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090220232214/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,321309~1~0~howroadtoperdition,00.html |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Casting===
Tom Hanks was sent a copy of the graphic novel by [[Steven Spielberg]] while he was filming ''[[Cast Away]]''. Initially too busy to make sense of the story, Hanks later received David Self's adapted screenplay, which he became attached to. Hanks, a father to four children, described Michael Sullivan's role, "I just got this guy. If you're a man, and you've got offspring ... emotionally, it's devastating."<ref name="Killer"/>

Tyler Hoechlin was chosen from over 2,000 candidates to portray Michael Sullivan's son.<ref name="Killer" /> The actor was 13 years old while filming. In scenes in which Hoechlin's character assists his father as a getaway driver, Hoechlin is trained by a driving instructor.<ref name="Circa"/>

Paul Newman was unanimously the first choice for the role of John Rooney.<ref name="Power"/> The actor prepared by requesting [[Frank McCourt]], the Irish-American author of ''[[Angela's Ashes]]'', to record a tape of his voice.<ref name="Killer"/>

David Self, who created the Maguire character, explained, "He gets so jaded from exposure to this world, he steps over the line from being the storyteller to being the story maker."<ref name="Self">{{cite news | author=Teofilo, Anthony | title=On the Road to Perdition | url=http://www.asitecalledfred.com/perdition/2.html | work=ASiteCalledFred | access-date=2010-04-24 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100515235952/http://www.asitecalledfred.com/perdition/2.html | archive-date=2010-05-15 }}</ref> To capture the "seedy countenance" of the character, Jude Law was given a sallow skin tone that reflected the wear from working in a darkroom. Law's teeth also received a lower gumline and had a rotted look.<ref name="Circa"/> Law was also given a weak, thinning hairline. Maguire's apartment also displays a collection of photographs of dead bodies, some of them actual police stills from the 1930s.<ref name="Fathers"/>

Stanley Tucci was selective about roles in gangster films, believing that Hollywood stereotyped [[Italian-American]]s as gangsters. However, attracted by the prospect of working with Mendes, the actor accepted the role of Nitti, a real-life Mob boss from Chicago.<ref>{{cite news|author=O'Connor, Clint|title=Out of Season|work=[[The Plain Dealer]] | date=2002-07-07}}</ref>

[[Anthony LaPaglia]] was cast as Al Capone and filmed a single scene, which was omitted from the final cut,<ref>{{cite web | title=Capone chats with Max Allan Collins about why he isn't in ROAD TO PERDITION!!! | url=http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=12122 | work=[[Ain't It Cool News]] | date=2002-04-26 | access-date=2007-06-06}}</ref> and can be found in the DVD's deleted scenes.<ref>{{cite news | author=Woodward, Tom | url=http://www.dvdactive.com/reviews/dvd/road-to-perdition-dts-edition.html | title=Road to Perdition: DTS Edition | work=DVDActive.com | access-date=2007-06-12 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120328074814/http://www.dvdactive.com/reviews/dvd/road-to-perdition-dts-edition.html | archive-date=2012-03-28 | url-status=dead }}</ref> Mendes believed that Capone was more menacing as an unseen presence. Actor [[Alfred Molina]] was approached to portray Capone, but Molina was forced to turn the role down due to scheduling conflicts with ''[[Frida (2002 film)|Frida]]'' (2002).<ref>{{cite news|author=Henerson, Evan|title=The Understudy|work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=2002-01-15}}</ref>

===Filming===
Mendes sought to produce a [[period film]] that avoided gangster genre clichés. Mendes chose to film ''Road to Perdition'' on location in Chicago, IL, including downtown at the University Club of Chicago, the [[Chicago]] neighborhood of [[Pullman, Chicago|Pullman]], the [[Charles G. Dawes House]] in [[Evanston, Illinois]], as well as the far west Chicago suburb of [[Geneva, Illinois|Geneva]], [[Illinois]]. [[General Jones Armory]], the state's largest location mainstay, which houses units of the [[Illinois National Guard]], was provided to the studio by the Illinois State Film Commission. Sets were built inside the armory, including the interiors of the Sullivan family's home and the Rooney mansion. The availability of an inside location provided the crew complete control over the lighting environment, which was established with the rigging of [[scaffolding]]s.<ref name="Triggers">{{cite news|author=Zone, Ray |url=http://www.theasc.com/magazine/aug02/perdition/index.html |title=Emotional Triggers|work=[[American Cinematographer]] |date=August 2002 |access-date=2007-06-06}}</ref>
{{Quote box|width=40%|Atmospherically, the landscape is a violent and magnificent canvas on which is told a mythic story of a father and son in the last period of lawlessness in American history.|Sam Mendes<ref name="Triggers" />}}
Mendes collaborated with costume designer Albert Wolsky, production designer [[Dennis Gassner]], and cinematographer [[Conrad Hall]] to design the film's style. Wolsky designed costumes that were "very controlled, with soft outlines and very soft silhouettes." Gassner built sets that could capture the cold look of the era. Mendes sought a muted palette for the film, having dark backgrounds and sets with dark, muted greens and grays. Mendes filmed ''Road to Perdition'' using the [[Super 35]] format.<ref name="Triggers"/>

The director filmed exterior scenes in Illinois in the winter and the spring of 2001, using real weather conditions such as snow, rain, and mud for the scenes. Mendes considered the usage of bleak weather conditions and the intended coldness of Gassner's exterior locations to define the characters' emotional states. Pullman became a key location to reflect this theme, having several settings, including the town's historic Florence Hotel, easily redressed by the crew for the film.<ref name="Triggers" /> Filming concluded in June 2001.<ref name="Killer" />

===Cinematography===
[[File:Perdition cinematography.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Cinematographer Conrad Hall set up atmospheric lighting similar to that found in the paintings of [[Edward Hopper]]]] To establish the lighting of scenes in ''Road to Perdition'', Mendes drew from the paintings of [[Edward Hopper]] as a source of inspiration, particularly Hopper's ''New York Movie'' (1939). Mendes and cinematographer [[Conrad Hall]] sought to convey similar atmospheric lighting for the film's scenes, applying a "less is more" mantra.<ref>{{cite news |author=Ray Zone |url=http://www.theasc.com/magazine/aug02/perdition/sidebar1.html |title=A Master of Mood |work=[[American Cinematographer]] |access-date=2007-06-06}}</ref> Hall also shot at wide apertures that retained one point in the [[depth of field]] sharply focused. Hall considered the technique to provide an emotional dimension to the scenes. The cinematographer also used unconventional techniques and materials to create unique lighting effects. One of Hall's methods was to use black silk in daylight exterior scenes to filter the light enough to create an in-shade look.<ref name="Triggers" />

Hall purposely distanced the camera from Hanks' character, Michael Sullivan Sr., at the beginning of the film to establish the perspective of Sullivan's son, who is unaware of his father's true nature.<ref name="Killer" /> Hanks's character was filmed as partially obscured and seen through doorways, and his entrances and exits took place in shadows. A wide lens was used to maintain a distance from the character.<ref name="Triggers" />

Shots in the film were drawn directly from panels in the graphic novel, illustrated by Richard Piers Rayner. An instance of the direct influence is the scene in which Michael Jr. looks up at the Chicago skyline from the vehicle, with the skyline reflected in the vehicle's glass.<ref name="Self"/>

A seamless 40-second driving scene, in which Michael Sullivan and his son travel into Chicago from the countryside, was aided by visual effects. The live-action part of the scene was filmed at [[LaSalle Street]], and due to the lack of scenery for part of the drive down LaSalle Street, the background of Balbo Drive was included with the use of visual effects.<ref>{{cite news |author=Heuring, David |url=http://www.theasc.com/magazine/aug02/perdition/sidebar2.html |title=Effecting a Key Transition |work=[[American Cinematographer]] |access-date=2007-06-06}}</ref>

===Music===
{{Main|Road to Perdition (soundtrack)}}

==Themes==
===Consequences of violence===
{{Quote box|width=40%|[What's] important, in this story, is what the violence does to the person who pulls the trigger, and what it has done to them over the years, how it has gradually corroded them. It has rotted their insides.|Sam Mendes<ref name="Paul" />}}
The film's title, ''Road to Perdition'', is both Michael Sullivan and his son's destination town and a euphemism for [[Hell]], a road that Sullivan desires to prevent his son from traveling. Sullivan, who chooses his violent path early on in life, considers himself irredeemable and seeks to save his son from a similar [[destiny|fate]]. Said Mendes, "[Sullivan] is in a battle for the soul of his son. Can a man who has led a bad life achieve redemption through his child?"<ref name="Road">"Taking the Road". Production Notes. ''Road to Perdition'' (2002). Retrieved 2007-06-06.</ref> Hanks described Sullivan as a man who achieved a comfortable status through violent means, whose likely repercussions he ignored. Sullivan is a good father and husband but also has a job that requires him to be a violent killer. The film explores this paradoxical [[dichotomy]]. When Sullivan is faced with the consequences, Hanks says, "At the moment we're dropped into the story, it is literally the last day of that false perspective."<ref name="Fathers">[http://www.roadtoperdition.com/home.html "Fathers & Sons"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070615045052/http://www.roadtoperdition.com/home.html |date=2007-06-15 }}. Production Notes. ''Road to Perdition'' (2002). Retrieved 2007-06-06.</ref> To keep Sullivan from justifying his violent actions in the film, Mendes omitted scenes in the final cut that had Sullivan explaining his background to his son.<ref name="Killer" />

In the film, most of the numerous acts of violence are committed off-screen. The violent acts were also designed to be quick, reflecting the actual speed of violence in the real world. The focus was not on the direct victims of the perpetuated violence but on the impact of violence on the perpetrators or witnesses to the act.<ref name="Paul" />

===Fathers and sons===
The film also explores father-son relationships between Michael Sullivan and his son, Sullivan and his boss, John Rooney, and between Rooney and his son Connor. Sullivan simultaneously idolizes and fears Rooney, and Sullivan's son feels the same about his father. Rooney's son, Connor, has none of Sullivan's redeeming qualities, and Rooney is conflicted about whom to protect: his biological son or his surrogate son. Connor is jealous of his father's relationship with Sullivan, which fuels his actions, ultimately causing a [[domino effect]] that drives the film.<ref name="Fathers" />

Because Sullivan shields his background from his son, his attempt to preserve the father-son relationship is actually harmful. Tragedy brings Sullivan and his son together.<ref name="American">{{cite news|author=Sperling Reich, J. |url=http://reel.com/reel.asp?node=features/interviews/sammendes |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071014111141/http://reel.com/reel.asp?node=features%2Finterviews%2Fsammendes |archive-date=2007-10-14 |title=American 'Perdition' |access-date=2007-07-25 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Sullivan escapes from the old world with his son, and the boy finds an opportunity to strengthen the relationship with his father. Tyler Hoechlin, who portrayed Michael Jr., explained, "His dad starts to realize that Michael is all he has now and how much he's been missing. I think the journey is of a father and son getting to know each other, and also finding out who they themselves are."<ref name="Fathers" />

===Rain===
Rain served as a [[Motif (narrative)|motif]] in the film. It was developed after research for the wake scene at the beginning of the film informed the director that corpses were kept on ice in the 1930s to keep bodies from decomposing. The notion was interwoven into the film, which linked the presence of rain with death.<ref name="Circa">[http://www.roadtoperdition.com/home.html "Circa 1931"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070615045052/http://www.roadtoperdition.com/home.html |date=2007-06-15 }}. Production Notes. ''Road to Perdition'' (2002). Retrieved 2007-06-06.</ref> Mendes reflected on the theme, "The linking of rain with death ... speaks of the mutability of rain and links to the uncontrollability of fate. These are things that humans can't control."<ref name="Circa" />

==Release==
With filming concluding in June 2001, the studio intended a United States release for the following Christmas. However, in September 2001, Mendes requested more time. It was rescheduled for release on July 12, 2002, an unconventional move that placed the drama among the action-oriented summer films.<ref name="Killer" />

===Home media===
[[Max Allan Collins]], who authored the graphic novel, was hired to write the novelization for the film adaptation. Collins initially turned in a draft that contained 90,000 words, but the licensing at [[DreamWorks Pictures|DreamWorks]] required the author to use only the dialogue from the film and no additional dialogue. Collins reluctantly edited the novelization down to 50,000 words and later said he regretted taking on the task.<ref name="Future" /> In 2016, [[Brash Books]] published Collins' original version of the novelization as ''Road to Perdition: The New, Expanded Edition.''<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.apnews.com/d34b11599bfe49e6897967f36f9f56df|title=Richer Version of Road to Perdition is Released|access-date=2017-07-11}}</ref>

''Road to Perdition'' was released on [[DVD]] on February 25, 2003, in both full screen and [[anamorphic widescreen]] versions. The DVD's features included an audio commentary, deleted scenes, an [[HBO]] "Making of" documentary, and a photo gallery.<ref>{{cite news|title=Road to Perdition – DVD Preview|work=[[IGN]]|date=2002-11-27|url=http://uk.dvd.ign.com/articles/378/378861p1.html|access-date=2007-06-10}}</ref> Work on the DVD began on the same day the film's production began, and a collaborative effort among the director, the studio, and the DVD production crew shaped the DVD's content. Due to the limited space on the DVD, the film's deleted scenes were chosen over a [[Digital Theater System|DTS]] soundtrack. Instead, the DVD included a [[Dolby Digital]] 5.1 soundtrack.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dvd.reviewer.co.uk/news/interview.asp?Index=7291|title=Mark Rowen – DVD Producer of Road to Perdition|work=DVD Reviewer|date=2003-03-19|access-date=2007-06-12}}</ref> A special edition DVD containing both DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtracks was also released, excluding the "Making of" documentary to fit both soundtracks.<ref>{{cite news|author=Conrad, Jeremy|url=http://dvd.ign.com/articles/387/387328p1.html|title=Road to Perdition – DVD Review|work=[[IGN]]|date=2006-02-26|access-date=2007-06-12}}</ref>

''Road to Perdition'' was released on [[Blu-ray Disc]] on August 3, 2010, featuring a widescreen transfer, a [[DTS-HD Master Audio]] 5.1 soundtrack, and all of the features from the DVD release.<ref>{{Citation |title=Road to Perdition Blu-ray |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Road-to-Perdition-Blu-ray/8155/ |access-date=2023-03-19}}</ref>

== Reception ==
===Box office===
''Road to Perdition'' opened in 1,798 theaters in its debut weekend, competing against several other new releases, including ''[[Reign of Fire (film)|Reign of Fire]]'', ''[[Halloween: Resurrection]]'' and ''[[The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course]]''. It ended up grossing $22.1 million, placing second to holdover ''[[Men in Black II]]''.<ref name="BOXWeekend">{{cite web |url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=2002&wknd=28&p=.htm |title=July 12–14, 2002 Weekend |work=[[Box Office Mojo]] |publisher=[[IMDb]] |access-date=2010-04-24}}</ref> The film then beat ''Men in Black'' and ''[[Stuart Little 2]]'' to reach the number one spot during its second weekend with $15.4 million.<ref>{{cite web |last=Gray |first=Brandon |date=July 22, 2002 |title='Road to Perdition' Squeaks Past 'Stuart Little 2' in Photo Finish |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/article/ed712246276/ |access-date=May 15, 2023 |website=Box Office Mojo |archive-date=May 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230515001557/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/article/ed712246276/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It grossed $104 million in the United States and $79.3 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $183.4 million.<ref name="numbers" />

=== Critical response {{Anchor|Critics|Reception}}===
''Road to Perdition'' received positive reviews from critics, with Conrad L. Hall's cinematography, the production design, and the lead performances of Hanks and Newman being praised. Review aggregation website [[Rotten Tomatoes]] gives the film an approval rating of 82% based on 213 reviews, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Somber, stately, and beautifully mounted, Sam Mendes' ''Road to Perdition'' is a well-crafted mob movie that explores the ties between fathers and sons."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/road_to_perdition|title=Road to Perdition |work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |publisher=[[Fandango Media]] |access-date=2025-05-30}}</ref> [[Metacritic]] gave the film a weighted average score of 72 out of 100, based on 36&nbsp;critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/video/titles/roadtoperdition|title=Road to Perdition|work=[[Metacritic]]|publisher=[[CBS Interactive]]|access-date=2010-04-24|archive-date=10 May 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100510025922/http://www.metacritic.com/video/titles/roadtoperdition|url-status=dead}}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cinemascore.com|title=Find CinemaScore|format=Type "Road to Perdition" in the search box|publisher=[[CinemaScore]]|access-date=January 27, 2021}}</ref>

[[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' praised Hall's cinematography and the thematic use of water. He also felt emotionally detached from the characters, saying, "I knew I admired it, but I didn't know if I liked it ... It is cold and holds us outside."<ref>{{cite news|author=Ebert, Roger|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20020712/REVIEWS/207120304/1023|title=Road to Perdition|work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|date=2002-07-12|access-date=2007-07-25|archive-date=2012-09-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120907201144/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20020712%2FREVIEWS%2F207120304%2F1023|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Kirk Honeycutt of ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' praised Hanks, Newman, and Craig but called Law's performance "almost cartoonish".<ref>{{cite news|author=Honeycutt, Kirk|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1530784|title=Road to Perdition|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=2002-07-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930181242/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1530784|archive-date=2007-09-30|access-date=2007-07-25}}</ref> [[Peter Travers]] of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' also complimented Hanks and Newman: "[They] act together with the confidence of titans, their talents in the service of character, never star ego." Travers cited Hall's "breathtaking" cinematography and composer [[Thomas Newman]]'s "evocative" score.<ref>{{cite news|author=Travers, Peter|url=https://www.google.com/search?cd=1&hl=en&gl=us|title=Road to Perdition: Review|date=2002-08-01|access-date=2010-04-24}}{{Dead link|date=January 2011}}</ref>

[[Paul Clinton]] of [[CNN]] said: "While these deeply human issues are touched upon, they're never fully explored, and that undermines the sense of greatness to which this movie obviously aspires." Clinton considered Craig's character "one-dimensional to the extreme". He found the cinematography too overpowering for the film's storyline, which he considered "weak".<ref>{{cite news|author=Clinton, Paul|url=http://archives.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/Movies/07/11/ca.s02.review.perdition/index.html|title=Review: 'Road to Perdition' scenic trip nowhere|work=[[CNN]]|date=2002-07-11|access-date=2007-07-25|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071106040249/http://archives.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/Movies/07/11/ca.s02.review.perdition/index.html|archive-date=2007-11-06}}</ref> J. Hoberman of ''[[The Village Voice]]'' described the film as "grim yet soppy". He added: "The action is stilted and the tabloid energy embalmed."<ref>{{cite news|author=Hoberman, J.|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/2002-07-09/film/industrial-symphony|title=Industrial Symphony|work=[[The Village Voice]]|date=2002-07-10|access-date=2010-04-24}}</ref> Stephen Hunter of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' thought that the script lost its path when Sullivan and his son fled their old life.<ref>{{cite news|author=Hunter, Stephen|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A58465-2002Jul11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116123815/https://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A58465-2002Jul11/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2018-11-16|title=Bedeviled by The Details In 'Perdition'|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=2002-07-12|access-date=2007-07-25}}</ref>

Eleanor Ringel Gillespie of ''[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]]'' enjoyed the film's cinematography, Depression-era setting, and the performances of Hanks and Newman. Gillespie wished the film lasted a little longer to explore its emotional core further.<ref>{{cite news|author=Eleanor Ringel Gillespie|url=http://www.accessatlanta.com/movies/content/shared/movies/reviews/R/roadtoperdition.html|title=Road to Perdition|work=[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]]|access-date=2007-07-25|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060212140617/http://www.accessatlanta.com/movies/content/shared/movies/reviews/R/roadtoperdition.html|archive-date=2006-02-12}}</ref> Eric Harrison of the ''[[Houston Chronicle]]'' considered ''Road to Perdition'' "the most brilliant work in this [gangster] genre" since the uncut ''[[Once Upon a Time in America]]'' (1984). Harrison considered Self's script "so finely honed that the story can change directions in a heartbeat."<ref>{{cite news|author=Harrison, Eric|url=http://chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ae/movies/reviews/1491161.html|work=[[Houston Chronicle]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071014091839/http://chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ae/movies/reviews/1491161.html|archive-date=2007-10-14|title=Road to Perdition|date=May 12, 2004|access-date=2011-01-01}}</ref>

===Accolades {{Anchor|Awards}}===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|-
! scope="col"| Award
! scope="col"| Category
! scope="col"| Recipient
! scope="col"| Result
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="6"| [[75th Academy Awards|Academy Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/75academyawards/nomswins.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080703204808/http://www.oscars.org/75academyawards/nomswins.html|archive-date=2008-07-03|title=75th Academy Award Nominees and Winners|work=Oscars.org|access-date=2007-05-20}}</ref>
| [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| [[Paul Newman]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Production Design|Best Art Direction]]
| [[Dennis Gassner]] and [[Nancy Haigh]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]]
| [[Conrad Hall|Conrad L. Hall]]<small> ([[List of posthumous Academy Award winners and nominees|posthumous]])</small>
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Original Score|Best Original Score]]
| [[Thomas Newman]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Sound|Best Sound]]
| [[Scott Millan]], [[Bob Beemer]] and [[John Pritchett (sound engineer)|John Pritchett]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Sound Editing|Best Sound Editing]]
| [[Scott Hecker]]
| {{nom}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="3"| [[British Academy Film Awards]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/Movies/02/24/film.baftas.reut|title='Pianist,' Kidman win BAFTAs|work=[[CNN]]|access-date=2010-04-24|date=2003-02-24}}</ref>
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role|Best Actor in a Supporting Role]]
| Paul Newman
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]]
| Conrad Hall <small> (posthumous)</small>
| {{won}}
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Production Design|Best Production Design]]
| Dennis Gassner
| {{won}}
|-
! scope="row"| [[Golden Globe Award]]s
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture|Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture]]
| Paul Newman
| {{nom}}
|-
! scope="row"| [[American Society of Cinematographers]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theasc.com/awards/history/2002.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080609184630/http://www.theasc.com/awards/history/2002.htm|archive-date=2008-06-09|title=ASC 17th Annual Awards – 2002|work=TheASC.org|access-date=2007-05-20}}</ref>
| [[American Society of Cinematographers Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases|Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography]]
| Conrad Hall<small> (posthumous)</small>
| {{won}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan=4| [[Critics' Choice Movie Awards]]
| Top 10 Films
|
| {{draw|5th place}}
|-
| [[Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]]
| 
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| Paul Newman
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer|Best Young Performer]]
| [[Tyler Hoechlin]]
| {{nom}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan=2| [[Saturn Awards]]
| [[Saturn Award for Best Action or Adventure Film|Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film]]
| 
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor|Best Young Actor]]
| Tyler Hoechlin
| {{won}}
|}

In April 2006, ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'' recognized ''Road to Perdition'' as No. 6 on its list of the top 20 comic book films.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.empireonline.com/features/comicbookfilms/6.asp|title=The 20 greatest comic book movies of all time|journal=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]|pages=98–103|date=April 2006|access-date=2011-01-01}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite journal|last=Oxoby|first=Marc|year=2002|title=Road To Perdition (Mendes 2002)|url=https://www.muse.jhu.edu/article/396032|journal=Film & History: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Film and Television Studies|volume=32|issue=2|pages=110–112}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{Official website|https://web.archive.org/web/20070703004419/http://www.roadtoperdition.com/}}
* {{IMDb title|0257044}}
* {{Mojo title|roadtoperdition}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|road_to_perdition}}
* [http://www.theasc.com/magazine/aug02/perdition/index.html Cinematography coverage] at [[American Cinematographer]]

{{Sam Mendes}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for ''Road to Perdition''
|list =
{{AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Intergenerational Film}}
{{Saturn Award for Best Action or Adventure Film}}
{{Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Film}}
}}
{{DC Comics films}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Road To Perdition}}
[[Category:2002 films]]
[[Category:20th Century Fox films]]
[[Category:BAFTA winners (films)]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Frank Nitti]]
[[Category:DreamWorks Pictures films]]
[[Category:Films about father–son relationships]]
[[Category:2000s English-language films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Thomas Newman]]
[[Category:Films about the Chicago Outfit]]
[[Category:Films about the Irish Mob]]
[[Category:Films directed by Sam Mendes]]
[[Category:Films produced by Richard D. Zanuck]]
[[Category:Films produced by Sam Mendes]]
[[Category:Films set in Chicago]]
[[Category:Films set in 1931]]
[[Category:Films shot in Chicago]]
[[Category:Films shot in Indiana]]
[[Category:Films whose cinematographer won the Best Cinematography Academy Award]]
[[Category:Live-action films based on DC Comics]]
[[Category:Saturn Award–winning films]]
[[Category:The Zanuck Company films]]
[[Category:American gang films]]
[[Category:2000s American films]]