*This post is part of Nathaniel’s Hit Me with YourBest Shot series and contains GRAPHIC IMAGES.
I’ve always thought Sam Mendes’ second feature doesn’t
get as much credit as it deserves. There is so much to admire, from
performances that transcend the characters they inhabit to a story that, while
never fully exploring its potential, manages to dig deeper than the machinations
of the crimes at its centre. But among all the film’s powers, legendary
cinematographer Conrad Hall’s Oscar-winning work takes the cake.
Choosing a favourite shot from such an abundance of
options isn’t easy. Hall’s somberly lit atmosphere captures the era beautifully.
His lens gives a poetic quality, however colourless, to the violence. It’s the
type of cinematography that attracts attention to itself, but when it seems so
fitting, so elegant, it isn’t something to complain about.
As is often the case when I participate in this
series, my favourite shot in the film is one that’s been etched in my memory
from previous screenings. It’s from an early sequence in the film. Michael Sullivan
Jr. has hidden in his father’s car to ride with him and Connor Rooney (Daniel
Craig) to a meeting. As his father (Tom Hanks) and Connor confront their
associate Finn McGovern (Ciaran Hinds) things get out of hand, Connor shoots
Finn and Sullivan Sr. is forced to gun down his guards. Michael witnesses the
proceedings through a hole in the wall.
The scene, which is significant in the narrative
since it really sets the story off, is shot through the hole with reverse shots
of Michael peeking in.
It’s an intense way to introduce Michael to the brutal
world his father lives in and it’s framed perfectly. What makes this sequence most
striking is the way it draws inspiration both from the graphic novel of the
source material and gangster films of the pre-code era. The chiaroscuro effect
of the illustrations is achieved through the hard lighting and slow motion, and
the shot-reverse-shot structure creates a similar dynamic. Vicious as the scene
may be, one can't help but pause and admire the beauty of Hall’s work.
AHA!
ReplyDeleteI just felt that someone would look at this scene, and I'm glad I was right because it immediately made me think of a best shot in another HIT ME entry (Jose on PSYCHO http://movieskickassblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/pleasure-of-watching.html).
Of course ROAD TO PERDITION doesn't quite depend on the watching in the same way as PSYCHO but this "watching" scene does catapult the film in a whole new direction just as the one in PSYCHO.
It occurred to me at the time,
I think it might be the best "complete" scene in the movie and I almost chose it. I don't agree that the cinematography which draws attention to itself so elegantly is never a problem. I have such mixed feelings about this movie but i did really enjoy watching it again.
ReplyDeleteThis is, I think, the third time this season that I've picked the same shot as somebody else, and I really love to see what different things people latch onto when there's a doubling-up like that. In this case, I love that you really dig into how specifically it plays out this exact moment, where I was more interested in how as an abstract graphic it suggests "bad things coming". It is such a fantastic scene, isn't it? I feel like there's almost a Spielberg influence in the way that POV and shot/reverse shot play together.
ReplyDeleteAndrew - Jose's post is one of my favourite entries in the series.
ReplyDeleteNathaniel - I agree with you but for some reason, it doesn't bother me in this film as much as it does elsewhere. Maybe it's the sentimental value of knowing it's Hall's last work?
Tim - Agreed. It's always fun to read different perspectives on the same shot.