Comments on: The Road — Taken http://www.allinoneboat.org/2009/12/02/the-road-taken/ And Heading Through the Straits of Messina (Will's blog) Sat, 28 Jan 2012 23:43:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Will Kirkland http://www.allinoneboat.org/2009/12/02/the-road-taken/comment-page-1/#comment-14695 Will Kirkland Mon, 25 Jan 2010 20:07:50 +0000 http://www.allinoneboat.org/?p=2187#comment-14695 Mark, Thanks for your views. I've just finished listening to The Road, the novel, and it is grimmer to the ear than the film is to the eye; just unremitting details of trying to survive in a gone-dead world. I have to say though I am still puzzled by McCarthy's conception that all life would die but somehow roving bands of humans would survive. They did at one point find some morrel mushrooms. I would have thought, had I conceived such an apocalypse that there would have been more such growths -- and still desperate searching for food. Recent history is full of stories of people who have lived on grass, insects, worms etc -- which seems a more plausible, and equally desperate situation. The other thing that was odd was, in fact the boy's age. I agree with you that it seems to have been 9 or so, but there is much in the book to make us think he is much younger. At one point the father puts him on his shoulders to run from the bad guys. Nine years old is a pretty big load to run with on one's shoulders. And, at nine, a boy can be tougher and more savvy than this one is portrayed -- witness stories from the favelas of Rio or other extreme situations where pre-adolescents have to make their own way. I kept hearing the father talking to a 4 year old or so.... In the end, too many questions kept popping up and distracting me for me to call it a class A film. Mark,
Thanks for your views. I’ve just finished listening to The Road, the novel, and it is grimmer to the ear than the film is to the eye; just unremitting details of trying to survive in a gone-dead world. I have to say though I am still puzzled by McCarthy’s conception that all life would die but somehow roving bands of humans would survive. They did at one point find some morrel mushrooms. I would have thought, had I conceived such an apocalypse that there would have been more such growths — and still desperate searching for food. Recent history is full of stories of people who have lived on grass, insects, worms etc — which seems a more plausible, and equally desperate situation. The other thing that was odd was, in fact the boy’s age. I agree with you that it seems to have been 9 or so, but there is much in the book to make us think he is much younger. At one point the father puts him on his shoulders to run from the bad guys. Nine years old is a pretty big load to run with on one’s shoulders. And, at nine, a boy can be tougher and more savvy than this one is portrayed — witness stories from the favelas of Rio or other extreme situations where pre-adolescents have to make their own way. I kept hearing the father talking to a 4 year old or so…. In the end, too many questions kept popping up and distracting me for me to call it a class A film.

]]> By: Mark http://www.allinoneboat.org/2009/12/02/the-road-taken/comment-page-1/#comment-14694 Mark Mon, 25 Jan 2010 18:18:47 +0000 http://www.allinoneboat.org/?p=2187#comment-14694 Enjoyed your review of the movie but I think you have missed an important point which may not be in the movie (I've only read the book) but affects your summary. The 'event' happens whilst the boy's mother is pregnant with him. So the elasped time between then and the story looks like 7-8-9 years. Everything that could be eaten has been eaten and possibly many years previous. I'm sure all sorts of measures were taken to preserve food but they ultimately failed. There is also reference to a Colera outbreak which would have killed millions. I wonder whether the devastation was only 'complete' in the US near the volcano. A global world food shortage meaning no-one could help or at least help all the billions affected. Similar to 28 Days later where the infection was limited to the UK. Don't really know. I imagine, as you rightly point out, that initially humans would have bonded together in groups for safety but this book portrays a time past that. The groups formed but the food still ran out. Groups then fought for what was left and only the most ruthless or evil survived. Until they too broke up and with no where else to go started moving to find food. You are left with roving bands on the road who are best avoided and the desperate remnants of the groups who lost who are not to be trusted. The hope is that somewhere 'south' is a locale where the devestation was not complete. Enjoyed your review of the movie but I think you have missed an important point which may not be in the movie (I’ve only read the book) but affects your summary.

The ‘event’ happens whilst the boy’s mother is pregnant with him. So the elasped time between then and the story looks like 7-8-9 years. Everything that could be eaten has been eaten and possibly many years previous. I’m sure all sorts of measures were taken to preserve food but they ultimately failed. There is also reference to a Colera outbreak which would have killed millions.

I wonder whether the devastation was only ‘complete’ in the US near the volcano. A global world food shortage meaning no-one could help or at least help all the billions affected. Similar to 28 Days later where the infection was limited to the UK. Don’t really know.

I imagine, as you rightly point out, that initially humans would have bonded together in groups for safety but this book portrays a time past that. The groups formed but the food still ran out. Groups then fought for what was left and only the most ruthless or evil survived. Until they too broke up and with no where else to go started moving to find food.

You are left with roving bands on the road who are best avoided and the desperate remnants of the groups who lost who are not to be trusted. The hope is that somewhere ‘south’ is a locale where the devestation was not complete.

]]> By: Hipolito M. Wiseman http://www.allinoneboat.org/2009/12/02/the-road-taken/comment-page-1/#comment-14623 Hipolito M. Wiseman Tue, 08 Dec 2009 01:43:31 +0000 http://www.allinoneboat.org/?p=2187#comment-14623 I Loved This Movie I Loved This Movie

]]> By: The Road — Taken | The Ruth Group http://www.allinoneboat.org/2009/12/02/the-road-taken/comment-page-1/#comment-14576 The Road — Taken | The Ruth Group Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:37:36 +0000 http://www.allinoneboat.org/?p=2187#comment-14576 [...] Read full review at AllInOneBoat.org [...] [...] Read full review at AllInOneBoat.org [...]

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