Topic summary

Road to Perdition

Road to Perdition

Road to Perdition is a 2002 American epicperiod gangster drama film directed by Sam Mendes and written by David Self, based on the first volume of the DC Comicsgraphic novel series of the same name by Max Allan Collins and Richard Piers Rayner. It stars Tom Hanks, Tyler Hoechlin, Paul Newman (in his final live-action theatrical film role), Jude Law, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Stanley Tucci, and Daniel Craig. Set in 1931, during the Great Depression, the film follows a mob enforcer and his son as they seek vengeance against the mobster who murdered the rest of their family. The film explores themes such as father-son relationships and the consequences of violence.

Road to Perdition was screened at the 59th Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2002, where it was nominated for the Golden Lion. The film was theatrically released in the United States on July 12, 2002, and was a box office success, grossing $183.4 million against its $80 million budget. Critics received it well and praised Mendes's direction, Conrad L. Hall's cinematography, and the cast's performances. At the 75th Academy Awards, the film was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Newman, Best Original Score, , Best Sound Mixing, and Best Art Direction. Hall was posthumously awarded the Oscar for Best Cinematography.