McCarthy's "The Road" - movie vs. book

Rob Babcock · « **on:** 3 Sep 2013, 05:37 am »

Okay, as is often the case, I'm probably the last guy on Earth to have seen this one!

Just got around to watching "The Road" tonight and I was very impressed. Of course, pretty depressing film, very somber and stark. As if we there was any doubt, Viggo Mortensen further cements his status as one of the greatest actors working today. The entire cast was very good.

My question is this- does the book offer any further explanation as to the nature of the cataclysm or it purely a McGuffin?

rajacat · « **Reply #1 on:** 3 Sep 2013, 06:28 am »

I not sure what you mean by "McGuffin".

I've read the book and have seen part of the movie. I caught just the last 45 minutes or so of the movie on TV. I should rent the movie although I doubt that it would come close to matching the book.

The book made it very clear that this was the aftermath of a nuclear war. The survivors seemed two fall into two camps. Those that would stop at nothing, including cannibalism, in order survive and those that never give up hope that humankind would survive and never give up its humanity. The part at the end after the father dies and the son is left to fend for himself but runs into a small intact family was a metaphor for rebirth. The rebirth would run through their young daughter and this newly found little boy. Adam and Eve. It's a story of hope verses despair...good verses evil. I thought the book was a small masterpiece.

I've read most of Cormac McCarthy's novels. Three have been made into movies. All the Pretty Horses,No Country for Old Men and The Road
I'm definitely a fan.

...Roy

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #2 on:** 3 Sep 2013, 07:19 am »

'McGuffin' was a phrase popularized by Hitchcock; it's basically a device that drives the plot forward. In the movie it appeared that the cataclysm was mysterious, or if they ever explained it I must have missed it. It sounded like the biosphere was slowly dying and that the Earth was actually cooling off.

I've never read any of his books. It sounds like I should. I did very much enjoy "No Country for Old Men."

Ericus Rex · « **Reply #3 on:** 3 Sep 2013, 03:10 pm »

Quote from: Rob Babcock on 3 Sep 2013, 07:19 am

'McGuffin' was a phrase popularized by Hitchcock; it's basically a device that drives the plot forward. In the movie it appeared that the cataclysm was mysterious, or if they ever explained it I must have missed it. It sounded like the biosphere was slowly dying and that the Earth was actually cooling off.

I've never read any of his books. It sounds like I should. I did very much enjoy "No Country for Old Men."

My wife read the book and she said the author never stated exactly what happened. Maybe she missed the section that Rajacat is talking about. She was under the impression that it was more of a global natural event...like an asteroid impact or the like. Plus, we don't see any effects of radiation in the book or the movie. Dunno.

rajacat · « **Reply #4 on:** 3 Sep 2013, 04:23 pm »

Quote from: Ericus Rex on 3 Sep 2013, 03:10 pm

My wife read the book and she said the author never stated exactly what happened. Maybe she missed the section that Rajacat is talking about. She was under the impression that it was more of a global natural event...like an asteroid impact or the like. Plus, we don't see any effects of radiation in the book or the movie. Dunno.

Your wife is right. The author doesn't explicitly state that a nuclear apocalypse has occurred but there are hints in several places that this, indeed, has happened.
Here's a quote from a discussion about the book/movie.

"Nuclear war is also a strong contender. However we don't have any firm evidence as such for this until during one of the man's flashbacks, where he is awoken at 1.17 in the morning by a "long shear of light and then a series of low concussions". This could be the point when a nuclear bomb hits the earth somewhere in the distance. He then tries the lights in the bathroom but like their clock, the power has stopped. This is also evidence as it is little known that when a nuclear warhead detonates, an electromagnetic-pulse (EMP) is fired at exactly the same time which disables all electronic circuits within its effective radius, which is marginally larger than that of the blast radius of a nuclear bomb.The man then runs a bath which indicates that he is trying to collect as much water as he can before any radioactive fallout can contaminate it. When we find this out, so many other details start to make sense, the sun being blotted out: This would be because the radioactive fallout that rises into the air through water vapour, would form thick clouds that would blot out the sun completely. The dramatic drop in temperature: a nuclear winter would cause the world too become dramatically colder. The road-rats wearing bio-hazard suits and gas masks: they are aware of the tragedy but they have the means to protect themselves."

Daedalus Audio · « **Reply #5 on:** 3 Sep 2013, 04:49 pm »

very clearly the aftermath of some level of nuclear war. do a bit of research on nuclear winter... could potentially be initiated by a 50 weapon exchange (something on the order of Pakistan and India throwing bombs at each other) and plunging the entire world into a 7-10 year nuclear winter. think about it..........
brilliant book but I don't it was only written as a metaphor, I'm sure McCarthy is also trying to get people to wake up to what we are playing with.