For those who haven’t yet seen the official trailer for the upcoming adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, I feel compelled to post it here, since I can’t seem to stop watching it. McCarthy’s dark, lyrical novels continuously astound me with their ability to tap directly into some sort of primal, animalistic sense of fear and dread, and The Road may be his most disturbing work to date: a stunning portrait of the human condition brutalized and alienated beyond comprehension.
In the wake of an unspecified disaster which has destroyed all of civilization, the story follows a father and son on their journey through a radically altered post-apocalyptic landscape that frankly makes Mad Max look about as foreboding as Cannonball Run II. The novel explores the deepest philosophical and psychological ramifications of the end of civilization, of what is truly lost when survival demands a constant redefinition of what it means to be human, and this trailer certainly seems to capture the harrowing bleakness of McCarthy’s vision. Director John Hillcoat’s previous feature, The Proposition (penned by frequent collaborator Nick Cave) proves he’s no stranger to the darker aspects of the human psyche, and the cast is simply phenomenal: Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce and Robert Duvall receive top billing, while Deadwood fans will appreciate the appearance of the excellent Garret Dillahunt and Molly Parker, as well.
The Road opens on October 16 (so start stockpiling your unicorn chasers now. Something tells me we’re going to need them).
Once agin, my official answer is: AWESOMENESS!!!
Loving it.
A.
Wow… a post apoc movie that doesn’t include nothing but screaming and explosions ;)
Lookin’ forward to it, thanks for clueing me in.
I avoided the book because I was never in the mood for that much darkness, but somehow the movie looks amazing. Perhaps it’s just easier to take for two hours than for the amount of time it takes to read a book. Or I don’t get as immersed in movies?
Either way – an amazing trailer.
Having read the book, I’m not sure where they’re going to fit all those actors in. As I recall it, there were only bit roles with the exception of the father and son.
I hated the book. I loathed the book. The only thing in its favor is that it was short. (For the record, I normally love post-apocalyptic fiction.) The movie looks like it’s going to be so much better than the book.
This is from the director of The Proposition, so I doubt this will be a bad movie, but that trailer makes The Road look like an action flick! Can’t wait to hear the Nick Cave score. I’ve been waiting for this movie for ages.
@Sandikal
Yeah. You’ll probably hate this movie, too. But, wow, can you maybe say a little why you hated the book? Was it something specific?
I thought the book was more about style than substance. It was too repetitive. The ending did not fit with the rest of the book. It was implausible that all life would be destroyed except people. Most importantly, I’ve read enough post-apocalyptic stories to know that the road is the worst place to be after an apocalypse. The survivors are going to be in enclaves off the beaten path. And, what the heck happened to planet Earth anyway? How do we know that everything is like the area around the road? There’s no TV, radio or newspapers along the road. One may just have to go off the road a couple dozen miles to find everything is just fine.
As for post-apocalyptic literature in general, I really can’t decide if I prefer “Earth Abides” or “A Canticle for Leibowitz”. My first post-apocalyptic adventure was “Daybreak: 2250 A.D.” by Andre Norton. I loved that book. I got it through the Scholastic Book Club when I was in 4th or 5th grade. I thought it was wonderful and wish it would be re-released so I could add a copy to my permanent collection.
let’s hope they don’t pull it again like last year. that was VERY disappointing. the trailer is a bit confusing. they intercut the last conversation with the mom with the man and boy alone on the road. personally, i don’t think they should have beefed up her part, but hey…
@spanishviolet – the book is an incredibly fast read. it looks a little weighty, but the type is quite large and double-spaced. i was done in a 24-hours, including work/sleep/life.
@Sandikal – i got the impression that the road was the worst place these two could be and they knew it. they didn’t seem to have any other sure idea how to reach the southern coast without roadmaps. the book also gave me the impression there was really no safe place ultimately due to the sheer of scarcity of resources. everyone was willing to scavenge every possible place for food.
i was willing to believe the reality of the story because of the boy’s youth. they tell us that people quickly fell to murder and cannibalism which would have drastically reduced the population, then you have the rise of the atmospheric gases which would lead to the flash fires. it seemed that the whole family had been on the road for years and that had been at least a year since the woman left before they decided to move south for warmth.
whatever, i really loved the book. can’t wait to see this.
I still can’t decide what I think of the book. As for a movie involving Viggo and Nick Cave, there’s no question I’ll see it. But the book…I admired the author’s voice his endless ability to present a tiny lil glimmer of hope in a landscape of mind-numbing pain both monotonous and terrifying in turns. But the glimmer never really became anything other than a glimmer, for me. It wasn’t ultimately about hope so much as perpetual near-hope. Kind of exhausting to read even though it was quick.
It will be interesting to see how the movie is paced. That’ll be the biggest challenge, I think.
“Most importantly, I’ve read enough post-apocalyptic stories to know that the road is the worst place to be after an apocalypse.”
yes, it’s a recurring trope. I don’t know if it’s true though. Why would so many dangerous people be hanging around these roads? The Mad Max scavenging for gas as a lifestyle thing seems pretty unlikely.
So scavenging for people to eat and kill? Why, if the road is the most dangerous place it must be highly unlikely that you can get people walking on it.
this movie was bumped yet again, a week before it was to open. now it’s scheduled for the day before thanksgiving.
My first post-apocalyptic adventure wasn’t “Daybreak: 2250 A.D.” by Andre Norton.It might have Gold Key Comics Mighty Samson,but Fors inspired to created my own hero back Toreus then.I loved that book. I got it through the Scholastic Book Club when I might have the in 4th or 5th grade-I don’t remember. Still I thought it was wonderful Book and wish it would be re-released so I could add a copy to my permanent collection,too.Fors was a neat character-although maybe needed more bits added too him and love cat Lura.And whole idea of a primative,with sword looking mankinds lost knowledge,which the basis for Toreus creation back 1973 or 1974.And this way before Satureday Tv acehole Thundarr the Luddite Barbarian.I felt the whole idea of a guy a primative trying resurrect the pass way to good not use for a Conan type character.
more here below
http://mavericuniverse.wikia.com/wiki/Captain_Toreus_2250