Actors - Road to Perdition

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	Actors - Road to Perdition

Road to Perdition is a graphic novel by Max Allan Collins that was made into a motion picture of the same name in 2002. The film was directed by Sam Mendes and stars Tom Hanks, Tyler Hoechlin, Paul Newman, Jude Law, Daniel Craig and Liam Aiken. Collins wrote the screenplay as well as the novelization of the film. The graphic novel was in part based on the manga Lone Wolf and Cub
by Kazuo Koike.

Themes

The film's central themes include the bond between fathers and sons, loyalty, revenge, and the search for redemption. The title is a dual reference, firstly to a town called Perdition, and secondly to the threat of eternal damnation that in Catholic theology accompanies murder.

Plot

Michael Sullivan Sr. (Hanks) is a trusted aide to John Rooney (Newman), an Irish American organized crime boss of Rock Island, Illinois. Rooney treats Sullivan as a surrogate son, being closer to him than his own son and heir, the vain and insecure Connor Rooney (Craig).

Sullivan senior and Connor are instructed by Rooney to deal with Finn McGovern, another employee of Rooney's whose brother was murdered by the Rooney organization as punishment for allegedly stealing from them. Unbeknownst to both Michael Sullivan and Connor Rooney, a curious twelve-year-old Michael Sullivan Jr. hides in the car and witnesses the ensuing scene where Connor, acting against his father's wishes, murders McGovern. The shocked Sullivan Sr. swears his son to secrecy, while John Rooney humiliates his son by demanding an apology for his seemingly hotheaded actions. Ostensibly to prevent the threat of Sullivan Jr. divulging the murder he witnessed (but in reality feeling jealous of and threatened by Sullivan Sr.), Connor, again against his father's wishes, attempts to have Sullivan murdered at the same time as personally killing his wife Annie and younger son Peter. Both Sullivan Sr. and Jr. survive the attempt on their lives and flee to Chicago.

When it becomes clear that Al Capone's crime syndicate will not countenance Sullivan's goal of taking revenge on the Rooneys, he develops an elaborate scheme to protect his son and to blackmail the mob into giving up Connor by robbing its secret accounts in banks throughout Chicago. He must do this while evading Maguire (Law), a voyeuristic hit man hired by the Capone organization to complete the eradication of the Sullivans.

It later becomes apparent that Connor has been embezzling money from his father, holding the money under the names of gang members that he has murdered. Confronted by Sullivan with the evidence that his son has been betraying him, John Rooney refuses to stop protecting Connor.

In order to gain revenge and protect his son, Sullivan must then kill the members of Rooney's gang, including John Rooney. He is then able to track down and avenge himself on Connor.

Subsequently, the psychopathic Maguire succeeds in tracking down the Sullivans and murders Michael Sullivan senior. His son has the opportunity to shoot Maguire but does not (Maguire is instead killed by the dying Sullivan Sr.), thus ensuring that Michael, at least, has a chance "to see Heaven".

Selected Cast

Tom Hanks - Michael Sullivan Sr.
Paul Newman - John Rooney
Jude Law - Maguire
Daniel Craig - Connor Rooney
Tyler Hoechlin - Michael Sullivan Jr.
Jennifer Jason Leigh - Annie Sullivan

Trivia

Australian actor Anthony LaPaglia
played notorious mobster Al Capone in the film, but his one and only scene was cut from the theatrical version, removing him from the cast. This was apparently done because the film makers decided it would be more sinister to never actually have Capone grace the screen with his presence. The deleted scene can be found on the DVD of the film.

Awards

The film was nominated for six Academy Awards, winning in the Best Cinematography category.

Differences between novel and film

In the graphic novel, the principal characters' surnames are O'Sullivan and Looney.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Road to Perdition ]

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