In a post-apocalpytic tale of survival, a man (Viggo Mortensen) and his son (Kodi Smit-McPhee), journey on foot across a wasteland of what was once America in the film based on the highly-acclaimed novel by Cormac McCarthy. Their only goal is to head south toward the ocean, and to stay alive. There is no color left on the earth; shot in mostly gray tones, the world has been reduced to nothing but a shell of what it once was, with those left alive scrounging for what they can. Most either kill themselves to escape the desolation, or resort to cannibalism to fend off starvation.

In a touching role, Mortensen's Father character would do anything to protect his Son, including sacrificing him if it means saving him from any who would hurt him. When the black and white truths become gray, the Son often questions if he and his Father are still "the good guys." In fact, the Son serves as the film's moral compass, posing questions of right and wrong all throughout the bleak tale. Robert Duvall's Old Man character doubtfully exclaims at one point, "If there is a God up there, He would have turned His back on us by now. And whoever made humanity, would find no humanity here." The Son's innocence and naivete, despite his situation, are what gives the film its humanity and provides hope in a world void of color and goodness.

The only color or beauty we ever see are in the form of a solitary rainbow, and in flashbacks and dreams of the days before the catastrophe, through images of the Father and his wife (Charlize Theron). We get to see their backstory, but few questions are ever answered as to what happened to the world or why.

Mortensen, gaunt, determined, and in gray drab hues, shows superb acting prowess in the film. His compassion for his son is what keeps the story moving and what keeps him alive as well. At one point he says "All I know is the child is my warrant, and if he is not the word of God, then God never spoke." In spite of the perils of their surroundings and the results of his slow starvation, the Father's sacrifices and love teach the boy to endure and keep "carrying the fire."

In a barren, austere world with no names, no trust, and questions of whether or not the sea is still blue, the film can get really depressing. It's those few small kernels of hope and the relationship between a father and son that keep us holding on until the end. It's not a feel-good, family movie, but it really makes you think and question what is important and truly good in your life.

Blu-ray extras include "Making Of" featurettes, deleted scenes, as well as the director's commentary.