31.12.08

"He was My Father"

Nonton lagi: Road to Perdition
Director: Sam Mendes
Release: 2002
Actors:
Tom Hanks: Michael Sullivan
Paul Newman: John Rooney
Daniel Craig: Connor Rooney
Jude Law: Harlem Maguire
Info on IMDb

This was the story about mafia. Everyone could have many interpretations about their life. The life maybe good for someone, or bad for another one. So, that was making the film started by these words, "There are many stories about Michael Sullivan" (Tom Hanks). His son has the same name. The story tells by the son.

Michael Sullivan has two boys, Michael and Peter. Michael is the older one, an ugly boy; Peter is a good and diligent one. Sometime Peter asked to Michael what are the jobs of his father. Michael doesn't know correctly what to say. He just explains that his father do the job from John Rooney (Paul Newman), the boss of mafia. The question makes him want to know what is the truly job of his father.

The conflict began at the funeral of Denny Mc Govern. His brother, Finn McGovern, after his speech, says statement that was making John Rooney angry. His statement look like reveals that John Rooney was the killer of his brother. To make this problem clear, John Rooney sent Connor Rooney (Daniel Craig), his son and Michael. Connor Rooney make a mistake: he kills Finn. He shouldn't do that because his father wants to keep Finn as friend.

There's one thing makes Connor Rooney jealous to Michael. It looks at the moment when Michael Sullivan and John Rooney playing piano together. The notes are simple and serene. This flick show that they were has a good relationship, like father and son. The relationship doesn't belong between John and Connor. It makes Connor want to kill Michael sometime, using his friend's help. Connor kills Michael's wife and Peter himself.

Michael Sullivan and his son, escaped from the plan of Connor to kill them. They go to Perdition. The road to Perdition became a great story for Michael Sullivan, Jr. Finally, he knows exactly what are his father jobs. One of them was rob the bank. He likes that.

Connor sent Harlem Maguire (Jude Law), a photographer to kill Michael. Jude Law has a good performance in this character. He plays a killer who has another job as a photographer. Before or while someone he kills going to die, he took a picture and published it on press.

The road to Perdition by this father and son shows us to understand about father-son relationship. They became closer. The son knows the father deeply than before. The other important message by this movie is vengeance. I remember what Hattori Hanzo said in Kill Bill (Volume 1): "Revenge is never a straight line. It's a forest, and like a forest it's easy to lose your way... To get lost... To forget where you came in." This was happen to Michael Sullivan.

Everyone have a memory about someone. Sullivan, Jr. has his own memory about his father. After his father death, people still asking what his opinion about his father. The life of Michael Sullivan maybe good for someone or bad for another one. But, Sullivan Jr. has one only answer: "He was my father." (~s.n~)