Road to Perdition

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Road to Perdition is a series of graphic novels written by Max Allan Collins and published by DC Comics' imprint, Paradox Press.

The first in the series, with art by Richard Piers Rayner, was adapted into the 2002 film of the same name, starring Tom Hanks.

The Film

Road to Perdition is a 2002 period drama directed by Sam Mendes. The screenplay was adapted by David Self, from the graphic novel of the same name by Max Allan Collins. The film stars Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law, Tyler Hoechlin, and Daniel Craig. Hanks stars as Michael Sullivan, an enforcer who is forced to flee with his son from the crime syndicate for whom he had worked.

Filming took place in the Chicago area. Director Sam Mendes, having recently finished 1999's acclaimed American Beauty, pursued a film that had minimal dialogue and conveyed emotion in the imagery. A "cold look" was created for the locations to emphasize the characters' emotional states. Cinematographer Conrad L. Hall took advantage of the lighting and the environment to create symbolism for the film, for which he won several awards. Road to Perdition explored the themes of violence's consequences and the relationship between father and son.

The film was released on 12 July 2002, and received mostly positive reviews. The cinematography, setting, and the performances of Paul Newman and Tom Hanks were well-received, though the film was criticized for not creating a strong emotional attachment to its audience.

Cast and characters

• Tom Hanks as Michael Sullivan, Sr.: A hitman who works for John Rooney. Hanks was sent a copy of the graphic novel Road to Perdition by Spielberg while he was filming Cast Away (2000). Initially too busy to make sense of the story, he later received David Self's adapted screenplay, to which he became attached. 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." Hanks portrayed Michael Sullivan in the film as a man who spoke little dialogue, particularly to avoid breaking the sense of self-awareness.
• Tyler Hoechlin as Michael Sullivan, Jr.: The oldest son of Michael Sullivan, Sr. Hoechlin was chosen from over 2,000 candidates to portray Michael Sullivan's son. The actor was 13 years old at the time of filming. For scenes in which Hoechlin's character assisted his father as a getaway driver, Hoechlin was trained to drive for several scenes by a driving instructor.
• Paul Newman as John Rooney: A crime boss who treats Sullivan as a surrogate son. Newman was unanimously the first choice for the role. The actor prepared for his role by requesting Frank McCourt, the Irish-American author of Angela's Ashes, to record a tape of himself speaking.
• Jude Law as Harlen Maguire: A crime scene photographer who moonlights as an assassin. Screenwriter David Self, who created the character of Harlen Maguire that did not exist in the graphic novel, explained, "He gets so jaded from exposure to this world, he steps over the line from being the storyteller to being the story maker." To capture the "seedy countenance" of the character, Law was given a sallow skin tone and beat-up hands that reflected the wear from working in a darkroom. Law's teeth also received a lower gumline and had the look of rotten teeth to mimic the ferret-like character. Law's character carried a camera that served as dual symbolism to his acts of murder. The character's apartment also displayed a collection of favorite photographs, some of which were actual police stills from the 1930s to illustrate the historic and authentic nature of crime in the decade.
• Daniel Craig as Connor Rooney: The son of John Rooney. He is jealous of the surrogate relationship between his father and Michael Sullivan, Sr.
• Stanley Tucci as Frank Nitti: A lieutenant under Al Capone. Tucci had previously avoided roles in gangster films, believing that Hollywood stereotyped all Italian-Americans as gangsters. The actor, attracted to the prospect of working with Mendes and his crew, changed his mind and accepted the role of Nitti, a real-life Mob boss from Chicago.
• Jennifer Jason Leigh as Annie Sullivan: The wife of Michael Sullivan, Sr. Leigh was a friend of Sam Mendes and portrayed the role as a favor to the director. Leigh had more scenes as Annie Sullivan than the film showed, but due to time constraints, the scenes were cut. Scenes with her were subsequently placed on the film's DVD.
• Liam Aiken as Peter Sullivan: The youngest son of Michael Sullivan, Sr.
• Dylan Baker as Alexander Rance: An accountant who holds the ledgers for the Rooney crime syndicate.
• Ciarán Hinds as Finn McGovern: The mark assigned by Sullivan and Connor Rooney, whose death is witnessed by Sullivan's son.
• Anthony LaPaglia as Al Capone: The notorious crime boss. The character was filmed in a scene, but the scene was omitted from the final cut, and can be found in the DVD's deleted scenes.[9] Actor Alfred Molina was approached to portray Capone, but Molina was forced to turn the role down due to scheduling conflicts with Frida (2002). Instead, LaPaglia was cast as Capone.