The Road

Review by Anthony Morris

Is there such a thing as an adaptation that is too close to the original? 

Not that there is anything wrong with the original in this case: Cormac McCarthy's ultra-bleak novel of a man and his son struggling through the ash-covered ruins of humanity is a brilliant novel and one that deserves all the praise heaped on it.

There was some question whether Australian director John Hillcoat (The Proposition) could do justice to the novel's unremitting grimness; when the film's release was delayed for a year, people wondered instead whether he'd done too good a job. 

As it turns out, he has done as good a job as anyone could have asked for. 

The tone of the father and son's journey is slightly lighter (no roast babies here) and the environment of despair around them is less stark - nature here simply seems to be winding down, rather than the ashen sterile wasteland of the novel. 

Viggo Mortensen is excellent as the father, conveying just the right amount of grim determination at his core. Without it, he wouldn't be plausible as a survivor, and while everything around that core has all but flaked away, there are enough glimpses of the man he used to be to make him completely convincing. 

Equally impressive is Kodi Smit-McPhee as his son. As a character who occasionally verges on being too good to be true he has a tricky job keeping him believable, but again the end result is never less than totally convincing. 

Usually there's enough of a difference between the book and the film to make one preferable to the other: here the book remains a masterpiece, but the film is as faithful to it as anyone could hope for. 

DVD Special Features

Plenty on here to keep the fans happy including The Making of The Road, and featurettes "Walking Into Darkness - Directing The Road" and "The Road - A Gallery".

Well worth checking out, especially on Blu Ray - it looks amazing!

Conclusion: Movie 80% Extras: 65%