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Road to Perdition (2002)

 -  Crime | Drama | Thriller  -  12 July 2002 (USA)
7.7
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Ratings: 7.7/10 from 143,825 users   Metascore: 72/100
Reviews: 965 user | 215 critic | 36 from Metacritic.com

Bonds of loyalty are put to the test when a hitman's son witnesses what his father does for a living.

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(graphic novel), (graphic novel), 1 more credit »
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Title: Road to Perdition (2002)

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Won 1 Oscar. Another 23 wins & 54 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
Rob Maxey ...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Craig Spidle ...
Rooney's Henchman
Ian Barford ...
Rooney's Henchman
Stephen P. Dunn ...
Finn McGovern's Henchman (as Stephen Dunn)
Paul Turner ...
Finn McGovern's Henchman
Kathleen Keane ...
Irish Musician
Brendan McKinney ...
Irish Musician
Edit

Storyline

Mike Sullivan works as a hit man for crime boss John Rooney. Sullivan views Rooney as a father figure. However after his son is witness to a killing he has done Mike Sullivan finds him self on the run trying to save the life of his son and at the same time looking for revenge on those who wronged him. Jude Law co stars as a hit man hired to kill Sullivan. Written by EL TORO 79

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

revenge | hitman | on the run | rifle | apology | See more »

Taglines:

Every father is a hero to his son. See more »

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and language | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Official Sites:

|

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

12 July 2002 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Camino a la perdición  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Box Office

Budget:

$80,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$797,627 (Italy) (20 December 2002)

Gross:

$40,935,560 (Europe) (10 January 2003)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

| |

Color:

(Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Despite the fact that this was filmed in Super 35, "Filmed in Panavision" is listed in the end credits. See more »

Goofs

In the opening credits, a high-voltage power line tower is in the background. They didn't exist in 1931. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Michael Sullivan, Jr.: There are many stories about Michael Sullivan. Some say he was a decent man. Some say there was no good in him at all. But I once spent 6 weeks on the road with him, in the winter of 1931. This is our story.
See more »

Crazy Credits

Thanks to all at the Donmar Warehouse Theatre, London See more »

Connections

References Vertigo (1958) See more »

Soundtracks

"Old Torn Petticoat"
Traditional
Performed by the "Irish Musicians" (John M. Williams, Kathleen Keane, Brendan McKinney,
Jackie Moran and Kieran O'Hare)
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

`Road to Perdition' is a rocky road of revenge and reconciliation, punctuated by some gorgeous Conrad Hall cinematography.
9 July 2002 | by (Columbus, Ohio) – See all my reviews

`Road to Perdition' is a rocky road of revenge and reconciliation, punctuated by some gorgeous Conrad Hall cinematography. Tom Hanks is a 1930's mob hit man whose 12 year-old son sees him commit a murder. The rest of Director Sam Mendes' (`American Beauty') film is the boy's coming to terms with that knowledge. Paul Newman plays a `godfather,' a father to his errant son and like a father to Hanks.

Laced throughout are 3 father-son relationships, which seem to move toward the violent ends reserved for mobsters. Hanks' son is ambivalent about his dad, whom he seems to adore yet hold accountable for his crimes. Newman's son is like Sonny Corleone, too loose to be in charge and no heir apparent; Hanks owes his lifestyle to Newman-all these relationships are subsumed by the business needs of the larger organization.

This is noir with a dark palette, costuming in clothes metaphorically heavy, and sounding often as stylized and minimal as the murders Hanks commits. `Road to Perdition' lacks the grandeur of Coppola's `Godfather' epic, but it succeeds in evoking an old-testament judicial system where eye meets eye and tooth savages tooth. The revenge motif is too dominant to let the film rest on the promising father-son motif.

Hanks' son learns about morality and decides about following in his father's footsteps. Hanks gives another controlled performance, and Paul Newman lets us know there is room for one more powerful screen godfather.


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Recent Posts
Musical score... hugely underratead? slapnutz777
Great movie, but that shootout scene..... dsh1998
Jennifer Jason Leigh's part ThatSoapsALittleHard
Why cast Tom Hanks for this role? gordml
Who's performance was best: Hanks, Newman or Law? maxpowersmdh
One one the most underrated movies..... liljayl23
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