Saturday, December 19, 2009

the road (2009)

i got my first christmas gift today by my friend andrew. and after delicately peeling each ribbon and paper apart, the pulitzer prize novel, the road was revealed. i havent read any of cormac mccarthy's books but knowing that literary critic harold bloom has named him as one of the four major american novelist of his time, says a lot. his previous novel no country for old men was adapted to a film as well by the coen brothers back in 2007. and his 1985 novel blood meridian is named one of the top 100 best english-language books between 1923 to 2005 by times magazine. blood meridian is also getting adapted into a film by producer scott rudin and is planned for a 2011 release.

at first i really didnt want to watch the road cause the film still was enough for me to know that this could be possibly just another depressing oscar film. but after having read that it took place in a post-apocalyptic tale, i was all in. and surprise surprise, i happen to get the book. and aptly, i suggested that we just go watch the film.

the road was directed by australian director john hillcoat and written by joe penhall. it stars viggo mortensen and kodi smit-mcphee as father and son in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. they struggle to survive a number of years after an ambiguous devastating cataclysm has destroyed civilization, plant life, and nearly wiped out all of mankind. with the scarcity of food and shelter, they continue to travel from town to town scavenging for any resources while trying to avoid a band of cannibals. the theme of morality and humanity comes into play in this film in such a powerful way that will send chills up your spine and into your brain cells.

i was grinding my teeth, pulling my hair, shuffling my feet, and squinting with every progressing scene. i honestly was not prepared to see this film today. (usually, i like to prepare myself before watching intense films) and knowing that i had not watched the trailer, i did not know what to expect. even while i was holding my breath through half the film, the film itself was a breath of fresh air. i dont remember the last INTENSE film ive seen but this film actually made me scared at some points. my constant fear was a reminder of how raw and important this film really is. it consumes and cuts through you like a knife making you confront your most deepest and unimaginable fear about humanity's fervent capacity to persist and persevere.

i left the theater with a swirling headache of shock and awe. im still shaken by some of the scenes and incidents that occurred in the film. dont worry, theres no blood but just raw emotions just fusing and pulsating out of the screen and into your body. this is possibly one of the most compelling and commanding films to come out in 2009. A