Ellis' basic character bio is as follows;
Ellis is a middle-aged, weary hitman. He is full of regrets from throughout his life, especially as a result of what he does for a living. He is a killer, who feels he has been worn away to nothing over the years, but he doesn’t want to fade away. He hangs on in quiet desperation. Ellis has repressed his emotions and has just become numb to the world. Ellis is tortured by guilt, regret and depression.
Throughout the process this year, I have drawn from many different characters this year, however here are just a few who have contributed to his development.
I'm a big fan of Tom Hanks. But then, who isn't? He might not be who you would first think of in relation to Ellis, but in a dark turn for Road To Perdition, Hanks portrayed Michael Sullivan. Sullivan is a stark and reserved character. You get the impression he is tired of the violence and he has a very interesting relationship with his son; not a million miles away from things we'd like to do with Ellis and Sonny.
I really like Humphrey Bogart's portrayal of Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon. Spade is certainly a cynic, quite jaded even before his partner is murdered. If he gets emotionally involved, he certainly doesn't show it, nor do such feelings (if they exist) get in the way of his logical judgment. That said, he does have a sense of humour. At the end of the day, Spade is cool, detached, professional, and very very good at what he does.
Jesse James in The Assassination of Jessie James By the Coward Robert Ford is a fascinating character. He is very definitely a violent man, but it's almost as though he hates that side to his personality. He seems regretful from his long violent life and basically has a death wish by the end of the film.
I love Tom Reagan in Miller’s Crossing. Reagan keeps things close to his chest so the other characters and the audience never quite know what he’s planning, if he has a plan at all, or where his moral boundaries are. Again, one of the overwhelming qualities of the character is that he just feels tired.
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