The best movie I have seen this year is the movie The Road, directed by John Hillcoat and based on the novel The Road, by Cormac McCarthy. In summary, “The Man” (Viggo Mortensen) has survived an apocalypse in America that left almost every living creature dead. His son, Kodi Smit- McPhee, is with him and the man is ready to protect his son by all means. With only two bullets in his gun and man-eaters lurking in the countryside, the situation is hopeless. For those who have read the novel and those who have not, the movie is equally thrilling (Sturton, 2010, p. 1).
The world of this film is dark, dismal and gray. A great unnamed catastrophe has destroyed the world as we know it and its survivors are living in this torn world. Whatever it was that happened, it filled the skies with ash blocking out the sun. This extended period of darkness was long-term enough to kill off all the Earth’s vegetation and subsequently herbivores. The movie starts with “The Man” carrying a gun with two bullets and his son carrying a toy elephant in the post-apocalyptic world. Although it is not shown what causes the damage, the devastation is great with virtually all living things die. “The Man” and his son encounter a lot of unpleasant events with other survivors who have become cannibals in their last attempt to survive. “The Man” is trying to move to the coast with his son to find some food and look for life there. On their way, we are shown flashbacks of his wife, Charlize Theron, pleading with them to kill themselves in order to escape the problems they are going through. The affection between the man and his son is enviable throughout the movie. Although much of the movie’s content is characterized by bleakness, the movie is ended on a high note that, kind of, promises a better future (Sturton, 2010, p. 1).
The Movie, The Road, has a lot of strengths. First, as a master of depth and feeling, John Hillcoat has directed The Road, to have its characteristic catchiness and its emotional nature. The fact that the cause of the devastation is not shown add suspense to the film and therefore buys the viewers’ attention as the viewer tries to unravel the mystery of the movie. The movie is staged in a post-apocalyptic wasteland which makes the movie look realistic. The choice of Viggo Mottelson to star in this movie was appropriate and it remains his best performance to date. The flashback of The Man’s wife also formed a very crucial part of the movie. They give evidence that the world was not initially the way it is and contribute to the building of determination as a theme in the movie. This is because when the man and his son are asked by the man’s wife to kill themselves in order to escape these problems, they do not kill themselves and instead they continue to struggle (Sturton, 2010, p. 1).
There are many reasons for a viewer to like this movie but the main reason why this movie was interesting to me is its integration of apocalyptic ideas with love and commitment. Normally, apocalyptic movies are filled with action and limited dialog and love but this is not the case with The Road. The portrayal of the virtue of perseverance in the movie was also very interesting. The viewer gets the feeling that the situation is hopeless at some point but the man and his son keep their hope and lastly see signs of a future. Also, the movie is perfectly staged giving a sense of reality to its scenes. That is, its scenes are naturally apocalyptic and thus the apocalyptic nature of the movie is perfectly achieved. The suspense and hopelessness of the movie are also catching and thus it draws the attention of the viewer until the movie is over. Although the movie is kind of bleak, its bleakness has a very important role especially considering the apocalyptic nature of the movie. Lastly, I cannot fail to mention the music that perfectly blends with the scenes in the movie. In a nutshell, the movie was a complete package combining perfect character choice with stage appropriateness and perfect literary styles like flashback (Sturton, 2010, p. 1).
The Road has an interesting uniqueness in that it is the first apocalyptic movie of its kind. This is specifically confirmed by the relationship between “The Man” and his son. Although much of the plot of The Road revolves around “The man” and his son, the movie draws the attention of the viewer until it is over. The storyline of the movie, although having some minor aspects of suspense, is perfectly chosen to suit its apocalyptic nature. This movie, therefore, makes for interesting viewing. Although its release was slightly delayed, The Road has attracted a myriad of viewers especially those people who have read Cormac’s novel, The Road (Sturton, 2010, p. 1).
Reference
Sturton, K. (2010) “The Road- A John Hillcoat Film”, Web.