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The release of "American Beauty" in theaters in 1999, besides generating unexpected buzz in all cinematic circles, also marked the debut of Sam Mendes, a British director who since then has sparked much discussion, fortunately more for his films than for statements or gossip (although it's worth mentioning a relationship gone bad with the beautiful Kate Winslet). Initially, there was curiosity, then showers of praise arrived for what was considered "one of the most promising hopes in world cinema." Several years have now passed since his debut, and other films have followed "American Beauty."
"Road to Perdition" (translated into Italian as the catchy "Era mio padre") is Mendes' second directorial work, changing the scene from his first effort. We travel back to Prohibition-era America and rampant crime. The story is essentially based on two characters: Michael (Tom Hanks) and his son Michael Jr. (Tyler Hoechlin), connected not only by their father/son relationship but also by a family event with tragic implications. An event that upends their daily life and opens up previously unforeseen possibilities.
This disruptive element kicks off a film that until that moment had "laid the foundations": interesting is the story Mendes tells of his subject, giving an almost road movie touch to a classic gangster, although inspired by a comic much more dynamic than Sam's narrative. On these unusual coordinates of wandering American killers, the author introduces the theme of family, the "mantra" that will characterize his subsequent works ("Revolutionary Road" and "American Life"). Even in this case (as indeed for the future films), the family unit is composed of two subjects: Mendes, however, does not limit himself to analyzing the mutual approach of the two Michael Sullivans but also examines the emotional bond that ties the same Michael to his "employer" John (Paul Newman, here in his last major appearance before his death). Lastly, always in the psychological deconstruction of the various family pairs, there is that between John and his son Connor (Daniel Craig), a devious character aware of the distance that separates him from his father.
A complex puzzle that Mendes manages to solve with mastery behind the camera, facilitated by a representation exalted by the splendid cinematography of Conrad Hall, who also died after the film's shooting. Less convincing is David Self's screenplay. Mendes compensates by letting the images do the talking, building a "measured" and "classic" film in its evolution towards a somewhat predictable finale yet sublime in realization and result. What up until the very last seconds might seem like a "passing of the baton" is instead a goodbye laden with unspoken words and time passed too quickly...
Academy Award (2003) for Best Cinematography (Conrad L. Hall).
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