There’s the certain type of post-apocalyptic film that springs
to everyone’s mind whenever they think of this particular cinematic genre: that
of the ultimate bad ass who wanders the wasteland, delivering a righteous
ass-kicking to the bad guys and helping the poor timid souls who’re just trying
to eke out a living in the radioactive dust. The Mad Max films pretty much
started this genre, which featured the lone, samurai-like warrior and his
unselfish efforts to leave the world a much better place than it was before. And
while the Aussie Mad Max flicks were far superior to many of the films that came
later (especially The Road Warrior, which is a masterpiece), as a whole, the
post-apocalyptic genre largely suffers from a comic book mentality that demands
a happy ending in the midst of the classic good vs. evil struggle.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course. But there is another type
of post-apocalyptic film, the more realistic type that’s not very popular with
the masses. Films like 1959’s On The Beach and 1983’s
Testament, which strived
to show a more gritty and pragmatic view of the end of the world (at least
compared to their comic book-type brethren), and it ain’t a pretty sight.
Director John Hillcoat’s The Road is the latest in this genre, and it’s based on
the marvelous novel by author Cormac McCarthy, who also wrote No Country For Old
Men. Viggo Mortensen, the heroic Aragorn from the Lord Of The Rings saga, stars
here as a father who is doing nothing more than trying to keep himself and his
young son alive in a world where not only has human civilization has been swept
away, but where nature itself is dying.
Everything is cold and grey; the sun never shines, and the few survivors are too
busy either scrounging for food or trying to avoid being eaten by cannibalistic
marauders who roam the countryside. It’s never stated exactly what caused the
apocalypse, but the film takes place ten years after the event, and things aren’t
looking any better. There’s not much hope of a happy ending here, just the
promise of more suffering, and the reason it’s so painful to watch is because of
the superb performances of Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee, who plays his young
son. The chemistry between them is simply great. Robert Duvall and Charlize
Theron round out the main cast, and both offer wonderful performances in a
haunting film that is very faithful to the novel.
Let’s be blunt here, although The Road is a magnificent, poignant film, it’s not an easy one to sit through. As I stated before, it’s not one of these corny "warrior of the wasteland" flicks--it’s not a popcorn flick at all. And while I wouldn’t blame you for not wanting to see it, I still think it’s very important that people do see this film. Because it serves as a warning. "We’re the good guys," the father assures his son over the campfire one night. And they are the good guys because they keep the fire inside them alive, which is their humanity. And films (and books) like The Road are necessary and vital because, by helping to remind us of a possible nightmarish future, we can avoid it from ever happening--thus keeping the collective fires of humanity and civilization alive and well within us all.
--SF
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