Page vs. Screen: The Road

"Too bad we can only carry 200 pounds of food back to the wagon."

There's something about Cormac McCarthy's The Road that makes it mesmerising to read. The frequent paragraphs, the incredible imagery, and distinct lack of punctuation, set it apart from any book written before. Its simplicity forces you to appreciate the book solely for its heart-wrenching plot and surprisingly believable characters, made to survive in a world where it's even worse than others turning on you; you're forced to turn on others. But does the 2009 film manage to follow in the footsteps of its textual predecessor? eehhhhhhhhmmehhmehggh. Not really.

What the film fails to do, which is the biggest mistake it could possibly make when trying to emulate a book like The Road, is stand out. It's still bleak, depressing tale of a man's ultimately fruitless quest to protect his son, but it lacks the unnerving style of which the book is written. Of course, such a thing would be near impossible for a film to do. But nobody forced anyone to make this, and the surrealism of the way the book is written, half of what makes it so great, is completely absent in the film.

To the film's credit, it's acted and directed superbly. They still remember that this isn't a story where you're supposed to laugh, or feel hopeful, or anything really that's positive, and the camera shots really make you feel like your eyes are chained to the screen. The performances are subtle and bleak, but still maintain hints of optimism, particularly in Viggo Mortensen as the father. I hadn't heard of this guy before seeing this film, and I was wholly impressed.

While the 2009 film The Road isn't a bad film by any means, it fails to make an impact like the book version did, by being less inventive with it's style and playing it safer for a more neutered audience. Watch the film on its own and you'll probably find it harrowing. Next to the book though, it's simply somber.

BOOK OR FILM: BOOK