The Road to Perdition - Blog Post #7 -

The Road to Perdition is an American period drama film directed by Sam Mendes. The screenplay was adapted by David Self, from the graphic novel of the same name by Max Allan Collins. The film stars Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law, and Daniel Craig. The plot, taking place during the Great Depression, follows a mob enforcer and his son as they seek vengeance against a mobster who murdered the rest of their family. Mendes collaborated with costume designer Albert Wolsky, production designer Dennis Gassner, and cinematographer Conrad Hall to design the film's style. Wolsky designed costumes that were "very controlled, with soft outlines and very soft silhouettes". Gassner built sets that could capture the cold look of the era. Mendes sought a muted palette for the film, having dark backgrounds and sets with dark, muted greens and grays. Mendes filmed Road to Perdition using the Super 35 format. The director filmed exterior scenes in Illinois in the winter and the spring of 2001, using real weather conditions such as snow, rain, and mud for the scenes. Mendes considered the usage of bleak weather conditions and the intended coldness of Gassner's exterior locations to define the characters' emotional states. Pullman became a key location to reflect this theme, having several settings, including the town's historic Florence Hotel, easily redressed by the crew for the film. Filming concluded in June 2001. 

The following screen grabs are from the scene where Michael Sullivan Sr. (Tom Hanks) is teaching Michael Sullivan Jr. (Tyler Hoechlin) how to drive a car so he can be his getaway driver when they are robbing banks.

Here we have our establishing shot of a road in the country. The Cinematographer uses the trees to make the road look very long and give a sense of depth.

Medium shot of Michael Sr. and Michael Jr.

Medium shot / "semi" over the shoulder shot of Michael Sr. and Michael Jr.

Exterior shot of car with Michael Sr. and Michael Jr. sitting inside. The audience can now see just how small Michael Jr. is.

Medium shot of Michael Sr. and Michael Jr.

Exterior shot of the car. The director is using the trees on both sides of the road to show that the road is deserted and that they are the only ones on the road.

Medium shot of Michael Sr. and Michael Jr. I'm pretty sure there is some filter work going on here in order to see thru the glass but still let the audience see the reflection coming off of it.

Medium shot of Michael Sr. and Michael Jr. Here is some more filter work going on in order to see thru the glass but still let the audience see the reflection coming off of it.

Long Shot of the car as Michael Jr. is driving. The lines of the road are used to convey depth and length.

Exterior shot of the car looking thru the woods as it drives down the road.

Medium shot of Michael Sr. and Michael Jr. Notice the bullet hole in the back window.

Interior shot from the back seat of the car.

Interior shot from the front passenger side of the vehicle. Establishing there is a tractor ahead.

Medium shot of Michael Sr. and Michael Jr. from the front of the car.

Interior shot from the front passenger side of the vehicle. The tractor is now closer to the car.

Interior shot from the front passenger side of the vehicle. Panning right view as the car narrowly zooms by the tractor.

Interior of the car from the backseat as Michael Sr. looks back at the narrowly missed tractor.

Medium Shot of Michael Sr. and Michael Jr. from the front of the car as the scene ends.