Review: ‘The Road’ is one of the best adaptations in recent years

Just two years ago The Coen Brothers directed one of the best adaptations of recent years – No Country for Old Men. What made that ten times more difficult was that the novel was by the masterful Cormac McCarthy, easily one of the worldʼs elite writers. Now, adapting a novel as introverted and thoughtful as The Road was an even more ridiculous idea, considering the content of the novel itself. The Road tells the story of a father (Viggo Mortensen) and son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) trekking across a post-apocalyptic United States in order to arrive at the coast for the simple reason of finding others, food and shelter. The world has been decimated by an unknown culprit, which is never explained, but ultimately doesnʼt matter. Civilization has been largely wiped out, but it seems a majority of the remaining survivors have been stripped of their humanity; groups of people have resorted to cannibalism and violence in order to survive. John Hillcoat took on the monumental task of adapting such a profound and introverted novel, and surprisingly, he came out victorious.

Given the context of the novel (the barebones plot), one might expect Hillcoat to have chosen to add superfluous amounts of action to help move the story along. Thankfully he didnʼt need to. The Road works exceedingly well, and moves fluidly without all of the constraints of a convoluted plot. The pace may be off-putting for most, but the film is wonderfully constructed. Many might simply call The Road a “slow film”, but the pacing is very deliberate, and works to the advantage of the tone. And that is not to say that there arenʼt scenes of pure adrenalin and intensity. The Man is, at times,
forced to defend himself with violence. In an early scene The Man encounters a dangerous man who strays from his party to relieve himself in the woods. The “stand-off” is intense. There are plenty of other scenes to satisfy oneʼs appetite for action, but it is sparse and used intelligently. Hillcoat shows resilience and restraint by not betraying the true nature of the film itself. Joe Penhall, who wrote the screenplay, brings us on a journey in a world decimated by an unknown cataclysm. It is not the type of journey you might expect, but one that reaches inside. Several situations throughout the film give us
perspective on who The Man and The Boy are; whether it be something as simple as drinking a soda, or a moral situation concerning a thief. In a very simple scene The Man brings The Boy a soda, and The Boy says,”Itʼs bubbly”. It is a perfect illustration of the boyʼs mentality; he has no clear understanding of the world before the catastrophe. The
world has brought out the most animalistic side of Man as well. Bent on protecting The Boy, The Man has taken it upon himself to do so at any cost. When a thief steals The Man and The Boyʼs tent, food, etc, The Man tracks him down, holds him at gun-point and forces him to strip down. The Man takes his stuff back then decides to take the thiefʼs clothes as well, as an act of revenge. A moral decision that leaves the audience feeling a sense of remorse for the thief, or understanding for The Manʼs desire to protect his son. Did he go too far? Thatʼs a question that Hillcoat leaves for us to answer. As a
contrast, The Boy protests against The Manʼs actions and he ultimately convinces him to give the clothes back. Through all of this, we can clearly see the diverging paths and ethics that The Boy and The Man have chosen.

The Road works so well because of the acting. The film relies on the actors to give great performances, and each individual plays their part to perfection; from Viggo Mortensen to Charlize Theron. However, despite having three big names, one of the stand-outs was easily Kodi Smit-McPhee. McPhee seems to completely understand his character, and sells the part of being a child born into a ruinous world, where his innocence was stolen away. In The Road, scenes that would otherwise be considered dull, are captivating thanks to Viggo and Kodiʼs perfect chemistry. The “soda scene” I spoke of before is a prime example of the exemplary performances given by these two. Charlize Theron, who is only in a few scenes, sells her part just as well. She is convincing as a mother who has lost all hope for herself, her husband and child, and lastly, humanity. Everyone gives a quality performance, right along with a special appearance by Guy Pearce.

In the novel, introversion and the “quiet” were integral. The narrative was one of the most difficult aspects to adapt, but the movie utilizes it perfectly. The Manʼs narration is quiet and elliptical, which helps maintain the same feeling of isolation that the book achieved so well. The Man reveals to us his inner-most thoughts, as well as his past told through flashbacks and dreams. Although flashbacks have become too commonplace and are looked upon as a very “easy” way to tell a story, The Road uses them well. The dreams slowly reveal The Manʼs past with The Boy and his Mother (Charlize Theron), and the flashbacks, used periodically throughout the film, never become overbearing or potentially maudlin. The subdued narrative reminded me of Terrence Malick. It doesnʼt necessarily tell us what is going on, but more or less helps us understand what is going on inside, without being expository or too deliberate.

In a world where CGI seems to rule the industry, Hillcoat decided to go against the grain. Easily one of the most impressive and sensory elements of the film is the cinematography and the landscapes; the lack of CGI propels the film forward (although, there are moments where CGI is necessary). The film was shot in parts of New Orleans- where Katrina struck – and parts of Pennsylvania. These choices brought the film to life. A viewer can feel how dirty and gritty the film actually is, and even how the characters feel. In The Proposition, Hillcoat demonstrated his ability to help make the dirtiness, and
grit palpable. Everything from flies constantly buzzing around each character, to the unbrushed teeth of each individual. Hillcoatʼs cinematography is some of the best of the year (from the wide shots, to the candle-lit nighttime conversations between The Man and The Mother…). A scene where trees are falling and the camera seems to fall with them particularly illustrates how well the film is shot, and what a master Hillcoat is with the camera.

I realize that Iʼve “gushed” quite a bit about the film, but there are flaws, unfortunately. An aspect of the film that truly bothered me, that both the book and the film share in common: the ending. Now, I realize that the ending was intended to
symbolize a sense of hope, but it seemed rather arbitrary and a little too easy. Throughout the film, we are hammered into a sense of relentless loneliness, despair, and brutality – yet, we arrive at a conclusion that feels overtly simplistic. It is not
insufficient, or incomplete, but it could have been something injected with hope without such an “easy way out”. Sure, we do need some hopefulness, but perhaps not in such a neat package. Despite that, The Road does end with some ambiguity, along with an extraordinary close-up on The Boyʼs face, as he makes an important decision. But altogether, this certainly wasnʼt enough for me to even remotely dislike the film or the novel, which are both – I believe anyway,- towering achievements. One of the other flaws of the film, which may seem ultimately trivial, was the use of the sentimental
music. As a fan of Nick Cave, I was somewhat surprised with some of the (at times) overbearingly saccharine music. When you have a director as skilled as Hillcoat, along with great actors and terrific production value, it seems rather fruitless to be in need of such an incongruous soundtrack.

The Road is not perfect, but it is absolutely one of the best adaptations in recent years. One can see a definite evolution of John Hillcoat as a filmmaker. He is clearly developing a solid sense of style and tone. Though I will always have a soft spot for The Proposition, The Road seems to be a step in the right direction. The Road may not be for everyone, certainly, but I do recommend everyone give it the chance it truly deserves. Hillcoat proves himself as great up-and-coming director with a definite sense of style. The Road is one of the best films of the year, and does do justice to Cormac McCarthyʼs masterful novel.