My review of The Road, John Hillcoat's film of Cormac McCarthy's novel, is up at Cinefantastique Online.
I haven't read McCarthy's Pulitzer-Prize winning novel, but plan to soon. I found very horrifying and moving, with wonderful performances and a very effective visual design. This post-apocalyptic world is horrifyingly plausible, and very thought-provoking. It seems that survivalism has been quietly increasing out there, and not long ago I blogged about the phenomenon of "green survivalism" which is a new twist on the old stereotype. Hoarding antibiotics and ammunition has, for some people, been augmented by learning how to grow and preserve food. And if McCarthy's vision of the future is accurate, there will definitely be a need for food preservation, as there won't be a single tree, shrub or blade of grass left, much less any animals. I think this film ought to be required viewing for anyone in a position of power who makes decisions regarding our nuclear, agricultural or military future. But then, I doubt anyone would actually learn anything.
