Scene Study: Road To Perdition

[@TMcD3]

Conrad Hall ASC the master of cinematography. All his films make such a powerful and tender statement visually

[@KALIMAindia]

I love this movie so much, thank you for recognizing this masterpiece! Road to Perdition is one of the most underrated and underseen movies of all time, and at the same time, one of the most unique, beautiful and harrowing films of all time!!!

[@Rush-td4kp]

Great breakdown to one of the best scenes in Road to Perdition. Every time I watch that scene, I still get chills at Paul Newman's dialogue.

[@JadeDelphi]

Yes, two of my favorite actors -- both were brilliant in this film.

[@RebelDukeTX]

Wonderful, detailed breakdown of this scene. The final showdown between Sullivan and Rooney, had to have a dark, surreal, sad beauty about it. The power of the scene, with just the images and the music. An earlier scene with Michael and John in the church basement. John telling Michael there were only killers in that room, and that neither of them would see heaven. And going forward, John would mourn the son he had lost. And that single line, "I'm glad it's you." If John was to have his life taken, by the life he had lived...best it was taken from him by Michael. This was Paul Newman's final onscreen performance, and by choice. There are many scenes in this movie that I describe as cold, sad, violent beauty. The light, in such a cold, dark movie sets the tone and distinguishes what short periods of redemption there are. Until the end. As many times as I've seen this movie, every time I watch Newman in this...I almost want to cry.

[@Success4u247]

The movie illustrates that people can do bad things and yet not be evil. While evil people are just evil. O’Neils wasn’t evil but his son was , Sullivan wasn’t evil,but the camera man was truly evil. While at the end the bystanders looking out their window from above were the angels barring Witnesses to the good and evil all around us . My father was my greatest teacher and I loved him deeply and yet I never ever felt loved by him. He was truly troubled and a broken man. And he became a compass forme to navigate my own way through life.

[@TheVisionMixer]

One of my top 5 movies of all time. Fantastic story, and brilliant film making from every dept.

[@captainjakemerica4579]

Gosh this video made me love this moment even more!!!

[@Michael-dt1mv]

Thanks for this wonderful, insightful analysis. It’s so rare that find something like this. And it’s really exciting to know that you’ll be doing more of these. This is the perfect venue for short discussions of how film music affects our experience of a scene. Just great

[@dfa3366]

Two movies that are sooo underrated is this one and the other is The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Both have that beautiful epic quality in a sea of violence.

[@mrlajel]

The Assassination is too slow, IMO.

[@acetilley1205]

2 of my all-time favorite movies. I have the posters for both hanging in my house

[@davidknight2104]

Awesome film that scene is pure artwork

[@GuzziHeroV50]

I read the comic books first, and the entire movie encapsulates it so damned well. It did as well for the comics as The DaVinci Code did for the book. Ironically, both starred Tom Hanks. Amazing work.

[@devanshkamdar8244]

I watched this movie last night and found this on 8hours. It's great!

[@InvisibleBully9496]

Wow I definitely saw the bystanders as angels watching on sealing his heavenly guilt on judgment day... the glowing windows. Good stuff

[@stephenl7756]

Such a phenomenal job. Thank you. Top 25 movie for all time

[@MrEdium]

ABSOLUTELY BREATHTAKING MOVIE EXCELLENT INSIGHT

[@harveydent1573]

Incredible overview. That scene always stuck with me.

[@mrxtra8789]

Great start man. Love the way you did this. Amazing movie. Amazing scene. Well done good sir

[@chothemusical]

This is gold. Love it.

[@robwatkins9269]

Thank you for providing this scene study. This is such a meaningful scene for so many reasons. This is an older thread and film but I must agree with Kalima below. Underrated, under-appreciated and under-viewed. Not many films can carry a somber tone virtually the entire time and not crush your soul. One's heart seemingly pains with every death in this film, save the accountant, who was a weasel. Even Connor's demise, although deserved, encapsulates a sad conclusion on the road of revenge. Sullivan paid a hefty price to exact his revenge, and eventually the ultimate price, as revenge was exacted back on him.

[@ryandelaney1343]

This analysis was excellent! Thank you for the detail!

[@AndreNitroX]

This movie is one of the few where I don’t say a word throughout the whole movie

[@angelachanelhuang1651]

Sadly these movies are based on true events in America

[@reicolumn_ey]

Couldn’t agree with you more. The whole movie is sublime.

[@thiamjanschneider3661]

I love this film very much.

[@keirchallinor9273]

Thank you for this scene study. I just rewatched it and always use this movie as a way to study film especially cinematography. One thing that I started to notice with Mendes is his focus of rain. To me Mendes uses this element as a symbol of emotion and vulnerability. In American Beauty the bigger neighbor comes to Kevin Spacey opening up to himself that he is Gay. During this incident, it is raining and is the only scene that has rain. I found this an interesting situation. The rain also involves a storm of some kind. Perhaps similar to the graduate where water represents a world we can’t escape from. In Road to perdition Rain is presented two times. One Michel jr seeing his father murder someone, along with Michel senior seeing his frightened almost paralyzed child see him for who he is. The rain falls hard Michael explaining his son cannot say anything. There a lot of great motifs as well. One is the tommy gun fire. The tommy gun is also used when Michel jr witnesses his father murder people. Covering his ears almost as he’s trying to escape the loud noise or even the scream he is presenting. The other time it’s presented is in this scene. Michel sr screaming with pain but also accepting his fate as you suggested. It’s amazing how many motifs there are in this movie. Another motif I loved was the dining room. At first it’s bright almost feels like a loving family. Then after Michel jr sees the murder the light changes in the next dinner. The light is dim something is off. Michel leaves the dining room while everyone else stays. Then finally at night after the mother and peter are killed, . Michel sits in the dining room alone. Everything is dark. The house that once filled with love and shelter, is now an empty hallow shell. Everything is dark and low lit. Michel sr looks at his son goes upstairs. Michel jr still sitting down at table unable to move.

[@klarapoznachowska6660]

Thank you for giving us that study !!! This scene means so much to me and it’s one of the best in the cinematography

[@gnolan4281]

When I first saw it I came away thinking that I didn't like it. I thought Tom Hanks was miscast and that Paul Newman had lost his presence...but I kept thinking and thinking about it even late at night. Eventually I watched it four times because, as Sam Mendes points out here, it's a story of images not of dialogue. Conrad L. Hall, who died shortly after the movie was released made every single frame an absolute work of art; a perfectly composed painting with astounding use of light and rain just as he did in Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood".

[@AndreNitroX]

It is a story of images not dialogue, the story and dialogue are great in this movie but it’s when there is no talking that this movie is breathtaking

[@user-ez9en7vk2z]

Great analysis. Tx 👏👏👏

[@sergioreyes61]

I have a little different interpretation of this scene, specifically at the "I'm glad it's you". First time i watched it, i really thought for a moment that the one shooting at them could be Daniel Craig's character. The movie gives some subtle insinuations that Rooney's son is not so happy with him (below all the "respect" and fear he clearly shows for him that make Connor look like an abusive child being punished by his also abusive father) and a line that he told Frank Nitti about him being the future because Rooney is old and probably doesn't have much time left. This scene doesn't give a visual of Mike until the very last moment. He is kept in the shadows and as he closes slowly to Rooney i really thought it was going to be Connor, and i saw the same thought on Roony's face as he says the "I'm glad it's you". He said this line not only in the sense of him being ok with Mike taking his life instead of someone else doing it, he said it because he was glad it was Mike instead of Connor. I don't know, i just got that feeling.

[@cruddddddddddddddd]

I think there’s something to this. The line works in multiple levels, which is what makes it a great line.

[@jgjgjg739]

Tell Me More About it we’ll you don’t actually see Mike shooting until the very end

[@fruitoson4227]

Jason Gild he was literally prepping his gun lol

[@lford1130]

This is an excellent analysis

[@shockwave199]

I had read along the way- or maybe it was the directors narration on the extras on the dvd- that this scene was having trouble in editing and by a fluke it was discovered when the diegetic sound was muted it played perfectly- hence the final result. I watch this movie numerous times for what I think tilts to a greater percentage of what I love- the music score. And I still have trouble with Hanks in the role. I think he's awesome but he was just too against type for me in this. Love the movie overall.

[@PeteCalandra]

Very well done! Thanks!

[@benfrancemusic]

LOVE this new series idea. I'd second the idea of a bit more musical analysis, but overall this was a GREAT episode to kick off the series!

[@joedonohoe22]

Really good idea for a KZbin video series! Perhaps some more musical analysis next time?

[@AndreNitroX]

Great analysis of a great movie

[@VCAY_38_EDITS]

Thank you for this video 💯

[@protamine4]

Scene study of the diner scene: from outside the diner assassin Maguire makes a positive ID of his intended target Sullivan. Maguire enters the diner with Sullivan eating with both hands holding utensils. If Maguire opened fire and killed Sullivan, all he would then need to do is go to Sullivan's car and finish off the defenseless boy. However Maguire does not shoot his target but instead sits down in front of him and chats him up in a creepy manner allowing Sullivan to ascertain he is an assassin. Sullivan slashes the tires of Maguire's car and escapes after Maguire murders a police officer. Overall this is a very enjoyable movie and the Maguire character is memorably creepy. On the negative side Hanks seems like too nice of a guy to play an organized crime enforcer and the diner scene is ridiculous.

[@paulfinney4197]

Man i miss my pa

[@quintinkhaliff4898]

With the brief summary of the film. I thought the falling of the mobsters one by one was the a message to the guy left standing. To see the people closest to you (Family) die. Michale (Tom Hanks) wanted his mentor to know what it was like to see your whole family die. The face off expressed the brutal betrayal. The round of gunfire represents rage.

[@troylazarus4102]

I'll point out a flaw in the shot you paused at 8:30. There were 3 umbrellas being carried by the mobsters, yet in this shot, we only see one. What happened to the other 2?

[@nydabeats]

Great breakdown! I really love this movie, its so well crafted from beginning to end... I don't think that story could be done any better...

[@PolymurExcel]

3:20, I know that soundtrack anywhere. Song of the Sea?

[@summon9fire]

Finding Nemo, I think. (Which is also Thomas Newman)

[@PolymurExcel]

If is so brief but I know for sure cause I’ve seen that movie enough times.

[@MrBB117]

1:34 Which movie is that?

[@DaxThura]

More of these please

[@mikebeer1567]

Please do Meet Joe black, either the final scene or the first meeting in the library

[@jimsullivanyoutube]

This film is a masterpiece. The muted - almost black & white color of the film - is genius. In this scene, the gunshots echo as smoke rises from the gun. But I find some things unplausible - like how the mobsters just stood there in the middle of the street instead of taking cover. There was another scene where Jude law was shooting at Tom Hanks car as he drove off, and a police officer came out of the diner and, instead of shooting him, said "Hey! What are you..." bang! Jude Law shot him. Don't think that would happen in real life. Nevertheless, who cares? This film is a work of art on so many levels.

[@limayesus]

This is a superb beginning to the new series, Kaya! Please keep up the good work. Can you analyse that scene from Forrest Gump where Forrest says to Jenny" I'm not a smart man...but I know what love is." and looks away with his hands on his hips? Thanks!

[@saberdogface]

Love this scene. How about "Patton" when he reads the prayer for good weather while his soldiers are fighting.

[@daleturner]

Wow! Thanks for this anatomical awesomeness!!! I thought Paul Newman did the score though? lol. GREAT on innumerable levels, indeed. This made me flash back on a "rain" scene in OPEN RANGE, which always killed me, in a different way. AMAZING Kaya. I'm hooked! Again, lol. I'm glad it's you.

[@dannygillis6899]

The shooting of Rooney’s goons accurately from the distance implied in the scene would have virtually been impossible using full-auto fire from a .45 ACP. Thompson. If you get the chance try it for yourself! Where Rooney is shot with full-auto fire he would have been on the ground and dead after having been struck with at most 2/3 rounds,

[@richardernsberger5692]

This great movie wasn't even nominated for Best Picture or Director, and Newman again didn't win for best Original Score, all of which goes to show that you can't take the Oscars too seriously. Conrad Hall did win for cinematography.

[@peiyuchen9757]

Thank you!

[@pixelart59]

It's funny that most people know the graphic novel from 1998. Meanwhile my late father had the a novel titled The Road to Perdition written in 1982.

[@baseballbro157]

By any chance, does anyone know how the graphic novel ends. I have to write an essay

[@The_Marvin_G_96]

Maybe a scene from Saving Mr Banks next time? It's also starring Tom Hanks and score done by Thomas Newman...

[@vervor]

I can’t believe this film didn’t win best picture.

[@randellelinner6290]

I still don't understand how Maguire found them though.

[@meenbee6853]

I thought the women in the windows were the widows of the goons ???

[@LeftBlankIntentionally]

I was loving this breakdown... but then, you referred to the magazine as a clip and I just lost the feels

[@angelachanelhuang1651]

Stop studying films

[@SirRambech]

Beautiful scene. At 9:08 I can feel the weight of Michael’s overcoat. Soaking wet.

[@punilraval8355]

👏👏👏😊👍

[@aNdzel0t]

the white light representing heaven kinda drift me away from the analysis.. no one of this killers is going to heaven and they made it clear 'cause it's a quoted in earlier scene.. those people in the windows watching the shootings are freed from mafia long time running things i felt like they are liberated in a way.. so they finnaly feel safe and no one wants to interfier or help them 'cause they knew what happend and they all saw it coming already.. :)

[@djandrego1615]

I love this movie, but I would not agree with the comments made here as they are more of implication than inference and I would rather make my own mind up on what I'm seeing as opposed to being told. Lights from above do not necessarily reference heaven. They're streetlights and nothing more. Not wishing to be too negative, but I believe this individual's aspirations of becoming a film critic have clouded his judgment on what is being told to the audience as a story. Retribution for Hanks' character's wife's and son's death is what is driving Sullivan in this scene and all other emotions have been negated to exact his vengeance, in spite of how it might affect him; hence his facial expression of resignation. That's the point of the scene. Revenge at any cost.

[@vervor]

CONRAD HALL

[@13strange67]

The obvious thing you are overlooking in this , otherwise wondrous scene : How does Sullivan manage to 'take out' Rooney's cronies without (from such a distance with a 'Tommy' gun : hardly a snipers weapon) accidentally , taking out Rooney ?

[@BrorealeK]

1. Michael Sullivan is not a realistic character. He's an insanely skilled hitman for the mob. 2. This scene, or most of it, is from Rooney's perspective. He knows he's a dead man. He's accepted his fate. What's happening around him is basically an afterthought. 3. Road to Perdition borrows heavily from the themes of Greek Tragedy. It's very theatric and subjective when it wants to be, and the film very much wants to be subjective and theatric in this scene. Contrast it with the quick, dirty gunfight in the speakeasy, or the naturalistic way Michael is taken out at the end. 4. Michael's like... 50 meters away at most. He can definitely kill those guys with a tommy gun.

[@pixelart59]

I think you are over emoting in your narration.. be more natural next time. And you'll win subs over easily. Like what The Critical Drinker does, without the cuss words

[@boxingenthusiast4016]

hollywood fell off