08. The Road by John Hillcoat (2009)

The road symbolizes hope, as well as courage.

The road means that for them it is the only hope of surviving. Hope that when they get to the end of that road they will be safe in a safe place.

It also represents courage because they have the bravery of going on without knowing anything about the road, courage of going into the unknown. Not knowing what awaits them.

We’ve been walking on the same road for weeks now. I don’t count the days anymore, we’re starving and if that we head south it will get us to a warmer place, at least I hope… Earlier today a group of hungry cannibals drove by us in a truck and we ran into the forest to hide. One man found us though; he took my will to live, my son, so I had no choice but to kill him. Killing had used one of the two bullets I had in the revolver.

Civilization has crumbled and created different people, the good guys and the bad guys. In this post-apocalyptic world, everything that ever existed, gone. Humanity with the help have Mother Nature, has destroyed itself.

We go into houses to rummage through dead people’s possessions, hopefully to find supplies to survive. I still feel like a thief. House by house we look for things that will help us keep going. Luckily in a backyard of one of the houses we found and incredible bunker, ironic isn’t it, someone prepared for an apocalypse but didn’t manage to make it to his backyard. Thank you whoever you were. I haven’t felt this good in a while, sipping some Jack Daniel’s while smoking a couple cigarettes then happily falling asleep feeling warm and drunk.

I slept lightly for the first time in many years, I think we’re safe and can stay a tiny bit longer. I finally shaved, he had a shower, we’re not sure how the water was running but we got incredibly lucky. I now feel fresh, have a full stomach and look 10 years younger.

Robinson Tanner (1ère ES1) - 2015