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The Road. Trailer. WATCH IT NOW.

posted by Marina Antunes

It's always "New Moon" day.

Comments (49)

May

2009

The waiting is nearly over. Enjoy!

49 response about The Road. Trailer. WATCH IT NOW. »

looks great. Anyone who is into the Road, I highly suggest you check out the details on my short film. In a similar vein. http://mattsontomlin.blogspot.com/search/label/Freshman%20Film

Comment by Mattson Tomlin — May 14, 2009
looks astounding. very different from what i envisioned, but still great.

Comment by Roy — May 14, 2009
Looks a little more action packed than the novel, but I think this is going to wrok out just fine.

Mmmmm.

Comment by Andrew James — May 14, 2009
Wow. I only made it half way through the book, so I really wasn’t looking forward to this as much as everyone else was, which disappointed me big time because I’m a big big big Viggo fan. But now, with a trailer finally out, OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG!!

Comment by Ashley — May 14, 2009
And for those who may have missed it: Esquire’s review. It’s spoiler free but if you haven’t read the book and don’t want to know more than what’s in the trailer, you may want to skip it.

Comment by Marina Antunes — May 14, 2009
Andrew, it’s just trailer tricks. If you look at it, there really wasn’t that much action in the trailer, just a lot of intense music and fast cutting – which makes it seem action packed. I think it’ll be a little more fast-paced than Hillcoat’s previous The Proposition, but I still bet this baby is going to be a lot slower than the general audience will expect.

With that said, the footage looks astounding. This is going to be sickeningly good, I can already tell.

As for the differences from the novel, I don’t mind the additional wife back story being added in, but I do hope that they leave the reasoning behind the world being in the state it is in ambiguous, like the novel.

Comment by Jonathan B. — May 14, 2009
Hopefully, the inevitable success of this will help Andrew Dominik gain support for his adaptation of McCarthy’s Cities of the Plain – although I’d much rather him tackle the trilogy’s earlier novel The Crossing and maybe even do a full out trilogy, with another adaptation of All the Pretty Horses. Or at the very least, get Billy Bob’s 3+ hour cut released, rather than the butchered Weinstein version.

p.s. Here is an article I wrote up on Cormac McCarthy a little over a year ago, if interested.

Comment by Jonathan B. — May 14, 2009
Is it weird that I feel like it’s not dark enough? I mean physically, the lighting and all. Aside from that, it looks FANTASTIC. Can’t wait!

Comment by Jandy — May 14, 2009
so Guy Pierce is in the film, huh.

looks great.

Comment by rot — May 14, 2009
Jonathan B.
The trailer makes it look like the wife character is allot more in it than she actually is. She only graced a few pages in the book and from the look of the scenes used in the trailer it’s not much more than that.

Comment by swarez — May 14, 2009
From Esquire:

When Bob Weinstein rolls those trailers, each one assumes the predictable arc of a story compressed to its essence. There is a speed to them that the actual movie — which I saw before seeing the trailers — does not possess or seek to possess, an urgency that feels manufactured. The music is pulse-pounding and urgent, driven to create absurd expectations of action in a movie that quietly elicits worry about the relative friability of the invisible paths that exist between people and what they need. Still, every utterance, every cry for help or hand clasped across the mouth of the boy to suppress a sob, is a fair-enough emanation from the heart of the movie.

The odd thing is, the start of each trailer includes glimpses of a storm, panicky news footage, little puzzle pieces of the world before it ended. No one — not the director or the myriad producers, not the novelist or the screenwriter — had ever even hinted at how it happened, until this.

Comment by Jonathan B. — May 14, 2009
swarez – you can deduce fairly easily from the trailers that the wife is going to be around in flashback form. I didn’t say above that she was going to be in the movie much, but they are still going to pad her role in the story. That is what I meant when I said I was fine with it.

Comment by Jonathan B. — May 14, 2009
like Ashley I only made it halfway through the book, and I dont even remember what I read anymore. That writing style was so plain and boring that nothing stuck. Trailer looks good.

Comment by Goon — May 15, 2009
Yeah. It seems like they need to get Theron some more face time. I agree with Jonathan in-that the essence of the story is the ambiguity of how the world ended up in that state.

Comment by Andy — May 15, 2009
Not to be an ass Goon, but did you read/like Max Brooks’ World War Z? It is the other end of the PA spectrum – obvious, pandering and weighless PA writing that amps up the ‘cool’ factor and ramps down the ‘real’ factor (while trying really hard to sound realistic in a geopolitical sense). I have been meaning to write a WWZ vs. PONTYPOOL bit on how to adapt a genre-novel, but just haven’t got there yet. Either way, THE ROAD remains one of the great 21st century novels, and I’m hoping the film can match the effect the book had on me when I read it. Devastating and pure.

Comment by kurt — May 15, 2009
I think the more apt comparison is Gerry. I would suspect someone who doesn’t like the novel The Road also doesn’t like Gerry. They are both experiments in reduction.

Comment by Mike Rot — May 15, 2009
As a non-lover of The Road (the novel), I loved Gerry. I may try to read The Road again, I think part of my problem was that I was taking the book to work with me and I only had about ten minutes of reading time a day, and even during that time I was distracted. The one good thing I was thinking while attempting to read was, “the book isn’t much, but it’ll be an awesome movie.”

Comment by Ashley — May 15, 2009
I see where you’re going with that Rot, but I gotta disagree. I HATED Gerry, but absolutely loved “The Road.”
Kind of different circumstances therefore different stakes.

I can say for certain though, that if Hillcoat puts the camera on Viggo’s face for 15 minutes while he walks in silence, it will bore me to tears. I may leave the theater to play Area-51 and Super Sprint and then come back to enjoy the rest of the movie.

Comment by Andrew James — May 15, 2009
the only way to really get at the story is to craft it a la Gerry, but I am assuming they won’t do that. Ennui is the pulse of the book, and how do you convey that, a character yawning and going “man I am bored”, or having the weariness of the existence laid out for you, the murderous deafening hopelessness of putting one foot in front of the other because you have nothing else to do.

Comment by Mike Rot — May 15, 2009
There are other ways to convey boredom besides making the audience bored. And with The Road, I think that there are other things to do. Being vigilant and the anticipation of something bad happening (even if it never does – sort of the “bomb not going off” kind of film making) is what will elevate “The Road.” With Gerry, the worst that will happen is they won’t get home. The best that will happen is they’ll see a road. Yippee.

I apologize for my obstinance, but I really was angry with Gerry; partly because of the expectations, party because I like the cast and director and partly because a friend of mine edited that film. I really wanted to like the movie. but disappointed is an understatement.

Comment by Andrew James — May 15, 2009
I was never bored watching GERRY. Nothing explicit happening does not equate boring to all people, and many books and movies are made with ‘wide audience’ not in mind. Gerry is certainly one of those, as is THE ROAD.

Comment by Kurt Halfyard — May 15, 2009
Gerry breaks through a wall that rarely gets broken. yes it pushes you into boredom and depending on what kind of person you are you then tune out, turn off, call it shit, or you go with it, and let it take you places meditatively that most films never do. It obliterates your comfort zone, it defuses your expectations, it makes you appreciate the subtlest of inflections like breathing, walking, sweating. It embodies the experience, it doesn’t dramatize it.

Cormac’s book is the same thing. He doesn’t tell you how boring this existence is, he shows you through style, through the repetition, a repetition that cannot adequately be paraphrased with a scene of Viggo yawning, and Charlize going “this existence is horrible, day after day its the same thing”… I mean I know they are going to do it that way, but its missing the point of the exercise to let us be disconnected voyeurs of the emotions rather than be participants in it.

Comment by Mike Rot — May 15, 2009
I have watched Gerry five times, and I am riveted by it. It is a meditative film that draws my attention in a way different from most.

Comment by Mike Rot — May 15, 2009
Please don’t fucking patronize me.

“Nothing explicit happening does not equate boring to all people”

This is obvious. As a fan of Malick (or last year’s AMAZING Silent Light) I can appreciate “nothing happening” and letting the camera just underscore the world at large and let the audience slowly slip into a world of awe or meditation. There is a breaking point though, at which it just becomes something that is there to appear as something artful when in fact it feels to most like just running the film because they have extra celluloid to burn and then they’ll just call it “contemplative” for the final product. Obviously Van Sant didn’t do this, but you have to understand that’s sort of what it felt like to most people (I assume).

I get the meditative aspect. I can see why, if caught in the right frame of mind, simply thinking about things and maybe putting yourself in the shoes of Affleck and/or Damon might be relaxing or contemplative and I can see why someone would get something out of that. But you’ve got to see that for the majority of film lovers, 15 minutes (actually I think it is more than that) is just too much to bear.

Comment by Andrew James — May 15, 2009
This is why I think what Van Sant does is magical, because another scene of the same duration in Tarkovsky’s Solaris bores me to tears, I find it devoid of life. Not one frame of Gerry feels devoid of life, it is directly about life, not ideas like Tarkovsky, but breathing, sweating, being.

For me if you are going to go slow, it cannot be about conveying ideas, it cannot be conceptual, it has to be about addressing life directly. The scene in Silent Light is not didactic, its immediate, its about experiencing the fullness of morning, its quasi-spiritual in its directness, in how it doesn’t waver from giving you the event. That too is a successful use of extended duration.

I think Tarkovsky is the worst at using this technique, his use is almost always to be clever, to link conceptual ideas, and I get your anger Andrew when it is used in this context.

Comment by Mike Rot — May 15, 2009
The original Solaris is one I’ve been meaning to get to but tough track down. I think I’ve seen a bit of it though on IFC or something and I think I know which scene to which you refer. On a train I think?

Comment by Andrew James — May 15, 2009
Rot did you ever watch The Proposition?

many books and movies are made with ‘wide audience’ not in mind. Gerry is certainly one of those, as is THE ROAD.

Says the guy who hasn’t even seen the movie yet.

Perhaps you two might actually judge the film on what it is rather then what you claim it will be.

Comment by Matt Gamble — May 15, 2009
Gamble, perhaps I wasn’t being clear. I meant the novel version of the ROAD.

Comment by Kurt Halfyard — May 15, 2009
OH god the scenes are endless in that film. The one that bugs me the most is this intercut of a Breugel painting, it is done so many times and for so long, it defies all logic, and is just irritating. That is an example of using extended duration for the sake of being clever… its devoid of life. The only reason it should be used is to get directly at the existential realities of living.

Comment by Mike Rot — May 15, 2009
I like the Proposition, and I suspect Hillcoat will take The Road in that direction. It is still relying on dramatic techniques to convey the theme, something the source material does not do. But for the record, I’m fine with it, just in a hypothetical imaginary world I would have liked to see the Gus Van Sant treatment of the story.

Comment by Mike Rot — May 15, 2009
@ just in a hypothetical imaginary world I would have liked to see the Gus Van Sant treatment of the story.

that would be something to see…

something to see…

to see… to see.. to see…

FADE IN.

pretty 15 year old hipster boy in with dreamy gold locks frolicks in a post apocaylptic medow of snow.

PRETTY BOY
Now that everyone I know is dead I have much more time to reflect on my inner emotions.

He walks in a giant cirlce four times.

PRETTY BOY
Sometimes I miss my parents n’ stuff. But I’m glad I dont’ have to do my homework anymore. I get go skate boarding all day.

Some other pretty 15 year old hipsters approach on the horizon. They have weapons and are bandits.

PRETTY BOY
What do you guys want. I hope you’re not here to corrupt my innocence.

BANDITS
Lets take ecstasy and explore our burgeoning sexualities… or else.

GIRL BANDIT
Also give us all your stuff

PRETTY BOY
All I have is this diary of my inner most thoughts that I could never tell anyone.

GIRL
Give it me so I can read it.

PRETTY BOY
I always hoped someone would ask me that. But no one ever did. I felt so alone.

MONTAGE:

Drugs.

Uncomfortable close ups on the pouty lips of pubescent boys.

The exact amount of underaged nudity you can show without going to jail.

Some emo / tripnotica fussion song of impossible beauty explodes on the soundtrack. It is so awesome that no one has ever heard of it before. It is like heroin orgasms.

FADE OUT.

….

Well that was pretty interesting.

Comment by Rusty James — May 15, 2009
uh, wrong Van Sant there Rusty. Have you even seen Gerry? not a pouty lip to be seen

Comment by Mike Rot — May 15, 2009
No, it’s the right Van Sant. Elephant, Last Days, Paranoid Park. I’ve met the guy here in Portland on two occasions. And yes, I’m actually a fan of Gerry.

Comment by Rusty James — May 15, 2009
well there are no drugs, no sex, no 15 year old hipsters, virtually no dialogue in Gerry. but besides that you nailed it!

Comment by Mike Rot — May 15, 2009
Has anyone read the cast of characters for story?
Hilarious…

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0898367/

Comment by TJ — May 15, 2009
@ well there are no drugs, no sex, no 15 year old hipsters, virtually no dialogue in Gerry.

Rot, are we really gonna carry on this bickering in two different unrelated threads?! C’mon, those are all Gus Van Sant movies and you said you wanted to see him direct the movie. It’s just a joke! I need you to meet half way on this.

Comment by Rusty James — May 15, 2009
TJ – haha. nice. Baby eater.

Comment by Andrew James — May 15, 2009
LOVED Elephant and liked Paranoid Park quite a bit. Am anticipating sitting down with Last Days one of these… days.

Comment by Andrew James — May 15, 2009
Looks good, but that scream @ 2:03 is freakin hilarious. I’ve heard it used in some trailers and songs before.

Comment by Primal — May 15, 2009
Primal, it sounds like the Wilhelm scream, which is used often in movies. I don’t think that it is actually the Wilhelm scream though in this trailer, but another popular stock scream. Not sure though.

Comment by Jonathan B. — May 15, 2009
That screem is the modern WILHELM, it reminds me of a TIE FIGHTER for some reason. My initial thought when watching the trailer was, “I don’t recall the EMPIRE in the McCarthy novel”

Comment by Kurt — May 15, 2009
“I would suspect someone who doesn’t like the novel The Road also doesn’t like Gerry.”

Wrong. I love Gerry.

I could try and explain my dislike of the Road away as “nothing happens” or “I dont like books where characters have no names (I dont like Heart of Darkness either)” but that that would just be leading down a Kurt/Gamble “Well I dont like books with characters who have no names which are set on boats” reductive weirdness.

Maybe the writing style.
The writing style of the book.
The book called The Road.
Did not do it for me.
At all.

But maybe a book with that style may come along and I’ll like it. All the elements just didnt come together for me viscerally into something I wanted to stick around with.

I’m certain you can find a lot of people who love the Road who don’t like Gerry.

Comment by Goon — May 16, 2009
First off, no Kurt I dont know anything about World War Z

“There is a breaking point though, at which it just becomes something that is there to appear as something artful when in fact it feels to most like just running the film because they have extra celluloid to burn and then they’ll just call it “contemplative” for the final product.”

See for me I always felt there was part of Gerry that WAS just fucking with people, and I’m okay with that. I like assuming I’m in on the joke. Van Sant is an odd duck and not entirely a ‘my feelings!’ director. I watch his films and feel like I get it, and that some scenes have purposes in direct conflict with the movie as a whole. Elephant has one of the ultimate darkly comedic moments in it with the girl who keeps her mouth shut when she runs into the washroom, breaking tone with everything else, so sarcastic. Its one of my favorite ‘what would you do?’ kind of scenes.

Malick (to date, I havent given him much of a chance to be honest) on the other hand, has done absolutely nothing for me. Thin Red Line is one of my least favorite films for a number of reasons. I like war movies and I can like the nature art and reflection of Andy Goldsworthy’s art, but give me a “poetry” war movie and a copy of Thoreau’s Walden and I am asleep. Don’t give a fuck, and the way they handle these things specifically don’t register with me at all.

I think TRL may also be my Andrew James-ish “bait and switch” angry movie. You gotta be honest, the way they toss all those names on the box only to give them nothing to do is annoying as shit. I dont get why he even packed that movie with names to begin with, theres a reason why some movies are better to be cast with no-names.

This movie is part of a fucking “George Clooney Collection” box set, and the Cloon isnt even in it til the last 10 minutes and doesnt really do anything noteworthy. If anyone bought that set expecting to get a Clooney war movie and got that, I’d grant them the right to be upset. There is no justifiable reason for half of those names to be on that box.

Comment by Goon — May 16, 2009
Not to be an ass Goon, but did you read/like Max Brooks’ World War Z? It is the other end of the PA spectrum – obvious, pandering and weighless PA writing that amps up the ‘cool’ factor and ramps down the ‘real’ factor (while trying really hard to sound realistic in a geopolitical sense).

Have you read Max Brooks’ Zombie Survival Guide? He’s not writing straight genre fiction, his tongue is planted firmly in cheek. You might as well rip on Real Ultimate Power for the same things as World War Z.

Comment by Matt Gamble — May 16, 2009
Ah. THAT Max Brooks. Anyone who wrote the Zombie Survival Guide (fucking awesome book) will get my money for another fun romp. I’ll definitely be hunting down WWZ now.

Comment by Andrew James — May 16, 2009
World War Z is alright. It wasn’t a can’t-put-down kind of book, but it was enjoyable and an interesting concept.

Comment by Jonathan B. — May 16, 2009
I dunno, I found WWZ to be pretty pedestrian, rather obvious, and kinda reaching (I hesitate to say desparate)…Major let down for me. Not sure what I expected going in, but I didn’t get much…….

Comment by Kurt — May 16, 2009
Are we talking about WWZ or Vinyan?

Comment by Matt Gamble — May 17, 2009
I think the trailer looks pretty good. I have not read the book but love that type of genre in movies.

chuck

Comment by entertainmenttodayandbeyond — May 17, 2009

The Road. Trailer. WATCH IT NOW.

49 response about The Road. Trailer. WATCH IT NOW. »

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