The Road

2009
Director: John Hillcoat
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Kodi Smit-Mcphee, Charlize Theron and small roles by Robert Duval and Guy Pearce

The Road is based on a 2006 book wrote by Cormac Mccarthy with the same title. Not only are the book and movie pretty out there but so is the way it was produced. First they missed their original release date to work on post-production stuff longer. Then they delayed to avoid being overlooked during the summer blockbuster months. After that it was delayed to be released during Oscars season. At some point during all of this the producers got cold feet and became worried that the film wouldn't earn enough money to make it profitable. Because of this marketing was dramatically scaled back and The Road was only available with a limited release. Bummer.

Like many post-apocalyptic movies, which the road is, the director never tells us what happened. There is a brief flashback to when a world altering event occurs but the only thing the audience learns is that Viggo saw a bright flash that lasted for a little while. The setting is sometime in the not too distant future. Viggo and his son survive the cataclysmic event and are just trying to survive. Whatever happened caused all of the planets plant and animal life making it a struggle to go on day to day. Possibly worse than that fact is the majority of surviving humans look upon each other as meals. You already knew that though because dystopian films and cannibalism go hand in hand.

Viggo and his son are on a trek to reach the coast which they presume to be safety. The major theme is how far are you willing to go to survive. Near the beginning of the film Viggo has to kill one of the cannibals to save the son. The very sheltered sons mind is blown by his dad becoming a murderer but Viggo comforts him with the that was a bad guy who was trying to hurt us and that was their only course of action. Once he is reassured that they "are one of the good guys" Viggo tells him that they must go on and "carry the fire". Little by little, Viggo starts to lose it. He becomes increasingly overprotected of his son which is understandable but it gets to a point where he will do anything to stay alive save kill. This is all culminated in a scene where the two of them catch up with a man who had just stolen all of their belongings. Viggo is pissed and holds him a gunpoint. By this time the tension is pretty nuts but one thing is certain, the burglar is not a bad man, just someone who steals out of necessity. Back to the showdown, while back in possession of all of his supplies and still holding the burglar at gunpoint, Viggo asks for the man to give him his clothes that he's wearing. And by ask I mean demand. Similar things happened in Europe during WWII. Boots and jackets were very hard commodities. Striping the burglar down and leaving him but naked has sealed his fate. This was a huge changing point in the movie because we no longer know if Viggo is a good guy. He just left a man who he mad helpless for dead. Is he still "carrying the fire"

Charlize Theron is a pretty big named actress but she only plays a minimal role. That's because she kills herself off before the story even occurs. Her only moments in the film take part during flashbacks. She can't adjust to the new way of life after the whatever happens happened. Charlize is unable to live a life where she can only just survive so she walks into the dark never to be seen again. I know this sounds like a spoiler and I'm sorry but its not. What she does do is leave behind her son. To me, this seems to be extremely selfish and unforgivable. For her little involvement in the movie, the director did a good job to getting the audience or at least me to really not like her.

This was a pretty good movie. Possibly the thing that I liked the most about it was the whole vibe all of the settings give off. Instead of making the movie all CGI and fake, the director used all real locations from places like New Orleans, Pittsburgh and Mount St. Helens. I would also like to describe the film as "pretty metal". There is a scene where a woman and child are chased down and killed. I heard in the book the woman was pregnant and the cannibals cooked and ate the fetus. That would be crazy and upgrade the movie to "really metal".

Rating: I'm going 4 out of 5 stars for this one. Good acting, great cinematography, so-so ending, and Viggo's balls are all part of the equation. That's right, his balls. I don't know if there is a clause in all of his contracts now that he has to get nude in every movie or what but this is the third time I have seen them. That's three too many. Also the boy is very whiny throughout the entire movie. I'm not saying I would whine a lot if faced with that situation, just not that much. I'm a pretty big Guy Pearce fan but he only appears in the final scene so I can't really say much at all about his role because I don't want to ruin anything.

Favorite Scene: Viggo and the boy investigate a house to see if there is anything worthwhile to take (they do this a lot). They break in and find a pile of boots. Things are looking a little strange. Next thing you know blood and knives are everywhere. Oh crap they just walked into cannibal headquarters. Whats that sound? Oh its the cannibals walking up to the house about to discover Viggo. While looking for a place to hide Viggo finds a trapdoor looking thing that sends them to a pitch black basement. Things kick it up a notch now. Viggo gets a little light going and what does he find? ZOMBIES! Well not really. Just a ton of very decrepit and grotesque looking people. Looks like something out of a concentration camp. Viggo and the boy are now in the cannibals pantry. Somehow they make is out of the house but have to hide in some bushes along the side till nightfall in order to not be discovered. There don't see any of the people carving/cooking people, they only hear it which makes it even messed up. 10/10 on the metal scale.

Quotes: Viggo-"I will kill anyone who touches you. Because that's my job. "

Viggo again "I told the boy when you dream about bad things happening, it means you're still fighting and you're still alive. It's when you start to dream about good things that you should start to worry."

Viggo and his son "You have to keep carrying the fire." Boy "What fire?" Viggo "The fire inside you."

Viggo telling you how it is in the movies opening "The clocks stopped at one seventeen one morning. There was a long shear of bright light, then a series of low concussions. Within a year there were fires on the ridges and deranged chanting. By day the dead impaled on spikes along the road. I think it's October but I can't be sure. I haven't kept a calender for five years. Each day is more gray than the one before. Each night is darker - beyond darkness. The world gets colder week by week as the world slowly dies. No animals have survived. All the crops are long gone. Someday all the trees in the world will have fallen. The roads are peopled by refugees towing carts and road gangs looking for fuel and food. There has been cannibalism. Cannibalism is the great fear. Mostly I worry about food. Always food. Food and our shoes. Sometimes I tell the boy old stories of courage and justice - difficult as they are to remember. All I know is the child is my warrant and if he is not the word of God, then God never spoke."

Stills:













Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbLgszfXTAY

BONUS!!! What do you think happened? I think it was a meteor or asteroid or something. Could also be a nuclear thing. Who knows right?