An important moment in The Road, the big screen adaptation of Texan Cormac McCarthy’s austere, dystopian novel, is accentuated by a character who barks, “I don’t want to JUST survive. Don’t you get that?” With this quote, the film not only strikes at the nature of what it is to be human, but also takes a significant jab at other stories that have dabbled in the end-of-days genre. Will people actually struggle just to survive in a cold, bleak world with absolutely no hope for any quality of life, or is it easier to simply give up? Is a life without dreams, with no social structure, and no beauty worth living? Why do characters in other post-apocalyptic stories never contemplate these questions, instead choosing to JUST survive at all costs?  Characters in The Road ask them. In fact, it’s because of these very contemplations that The Road is one of the year’s most rewarding experiences. Challenging for sure... but gratifying nonetheless.

Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smitt-McPhee are subtly magnificent as the Man and the Boy, a father and son who are on the move with all their worldly possessions – whatever food, blankets, tarps, and tools they’ve managed to scavenge – in a two-wheeled handcart, scraping across the southeastern United States. The world as we know it is just a shell of its former glory, its vistas stripped bare by some unknown natural disaster. No animals, insects, fish, or food, not many people, and nothing green.

In the course of their travels across the once magnificent land, the boy and his father find refuge in the woods, old, abandoned structures, or any other shelter to hide them from the world gone bad. They encounter all sorts of desperate people, but for the most part, avoid encounters with others, especially a wandering road gang who would think nothing of taking everything from them.

While director John Hillcoat’s depiction of the dying world is unrelenting and at times almost too much to bear, we’re always calmed by the powerful love displayed between a father and son. Relative newcomer Smitt-McPhee’s depiction of a child’s terror is truly agonizing, but he also handles the moments of subtlety and emotional tenderness with the attention of a seasoned veteran actor. Together, he and Mortensen drive the film with their depiction of relentless determination and the fierceness of love. Weak performances here would undoubtedly sink the entire film into an abyss of unbearable pain. They’re our buoy in a sea of despair.

Through a series of flashbacks that constantly interrupt the man’s sleep, we meet his wife (Charlize Theron). Though absent from the book, her segments not only provide us some insight into why he grieves so much, but they also furnish a much needed break from the emotional intensity. The occasional segments with images of better days, sunshine, and butterflies play nicely opposite the black-hearted meat of the story. The misery of the current situation is not lost on her however, as we learn of what those who aren’t satisfied with JUST surviving consider as a better alternative.

In a testament to the excellence of McCarthy’s writings and Hillcoat’s vision, The Road will represent different things to different viewers. It defies typical brand classification by walking a fertile line between subjects, emotions, and genres. It’s a courageous road picture and an unnerving dystopian epic, but with great moments of horror, love, and adventure. Many will notice nothing but dark destruction and oppressive disgust, while others will be encouraged by the celebration of the inextinguishable will to live.

(Released by Dimension Films and rated “R” for some violence, disturbing images and language.)

Review also posted at www.franksreelreviews.com.