Intermission: 'Road to Perdition' brings new slant on gangster film

Jim Wunderle works at Associated Video Producers and is a free-lance writer and musician.

From the movies of James Cagney and Edward G. Robinson, to "Bonnie and Clyde," to "The Godfather" series and the films of Martin Scorsese - and most recently HBO's "The Sopranos"- audiences have had a long love affair with the gangster movie.

It's hard to figure. We're captivated in "reel" life by theses murderous mobsters, but if we were to meet them in "real" life we would probably not be so enthusiastic about their exploits. This speaks highly of the power of film to draw us in and tell us a story.

The latest, and finest in a long time, gangster movie is Sam Mendes' "Road to Perdition."

This is only his second film, and so far Mendes is batting a thousand. His debut was "American Beauty" in 1999. That piece went on to win five major Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Kevin Spacey), Best Screenplay and Best Cinematography. Not bad for a first timer.

Mendes realizes how the "look" of a movie influences the overall feel and wisely hired Conrad L. Hall (who was the cinematographer on "American Beauty") to shoot "Road to Perdition."

Hall has a very distinguished career. He shot "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," "Cool Hand Luke," "In Cold Blood" and a fistful of other classics. He is one of the true masters of the art and adds a lot to the story Mendes and company are telling.

That story is based on the "graphic novel" (read $15 comic book) by Max Allan.

I must admit I haven't read, or even heard of, this book previously but apparently Mendes and screenwriter David Self have taken a few liberties with the plot line. What they've come up with is a film that fits the modern gangster genre perfectly while paying tribute to both "The Godfather" and the Coen brothers' classic period piece/mob movie "Miller's Crossing."

The time is 1931. The setting is Midwest mob land and Chicago. Tom Hanks plays Michael Sullivan, a hit man in the employ of John Rooney. Paul Newman, who just seems to get more graceful and handsome with each passing year, plays Rooney to perfection. It would be hard to imagine two actors who could draw the audience into the characters more than Hanks and Newman. Even as killers, we still like these guys.

Sullivan is also a family man with a wife and two young sons.

When a mob "disciplinary" action turns into much more thanks to Rooney's psychopathic son Conner Sullivan finds himself outside of the circle of protection.

Rooney raised Sullivan as a son (much like Vito Corleone took in Tom Hayden in "The Godfather") but Conner Rooney is John's real flesh and blood and blood, as we all know, is thicker than ... well with these guys almost everything.

Conner sets up a situation that nearly gets Michael killed. He then summarily executes Michael's wife and youngest son.

This action sends Sullivan and his other son, Mike, who has just recently discovered what dad's job is all about, on the road and into hiding.

Sullivan tries to reason with John Rooney but to no avail. He then goes to Chicago to meet with Frank Nitti Al Capone's second in command with a proposal that is also denied.

As desperate times call for desperate action, Sullivan and son devise a plan that will force the Capone family into letting Sullivan exact his justice on the Rooney clan. Or so Sullivan thinks.

While not as intricately plotted as "American Beauty," "Road to Perdition" is fairly epic in proportion, using elements from classic gangster films and film noir, along with a good helping of classic Greek tragedy.

"Sons are put on the earth to trouble their fathers," Rooney explains to Sullivan early in the story.

And, indeed, the father/son relationship is dealt with on a number of levels in "Road to Perdition."

As in every film noir, there are no "good guys" (outside of young Mike) to be found here. But Hanks has an affability that makes us root for him, even when we know he's a killer for hire.

Newman's John Rooney isn't as sympathetic but there's an underlying poignancy to the character that evokes a great deal of feeling.

"Road to Perdition" is a fine piece of filmmaking, one of the best movies of this summer season, and Oscar buzz has already begun.

If you see this film and like it, you have to rent "Miller's Crossing," another film that puts focus on the Irish, rather than the Italian, arm of organized crime.