Road to Perdition is a mob drama that took place in a Midwestern town during the depression era of the 1930s. The film is a part revenge drama, part coming of age story, and part somber relationship between the fathers and sons. In the world of organized crime, loyalty is expected and given but rarely returned. This film depicts the struggle of a hit man who was torn between the love of his family and the loyalty to his mob boss. The film, like any other, is subject to praise and criticism. What makes a film great can vary in a combination of ways: A superb cast, flawless acting, and a captivating story line are some of the elements. Nevertheless, movie review critics are the best at sorting out the strengths and weaknesses of a film. .
Mike Sullivan, played by Tom Hanks, was a hit man who worked for the mob boss John Rooney, played by Paul Newman. The relationship between the two was like one of father and son. Mike Sullivan had a great deal of love for his wife and two sons. At times he may seem more playful with the younger son, who was eventually killed, and distant himself from the elder one, Mike Sullivan Jr. He felt that Junior was a lot like him and feared that he would follow in the same foot steps, which may explain his reluctance to embrace Junior though deep down in his heart he loved him. All hell broke loose when Connor Rooney, son of the mob boss, shot and killed Mike Sullivan's wife and son. He actually wanted to get rid of the whole family because Junior witnessed a murder he had committed and felt threatened by it. Unfortunately, his plan failed and left an angry Mike Sullivan seeking for revenge. During this time, Mike Sullivan and Junior were moving around from city to city to evade the mob, and in the process they became closer and stronger than ever before. Finding out about what had happened to Mike Sullivan's family, John Rooney was extremely upset with his own son and condemned his actions.