A History of Violence Movie Review

Brutal but not nihilistic, thought-provoking but not preachy, David Cronenberg's A History of Violence is a damn fine film. It takes a new approach to film violence that shows the effects of violence. There is no passivity to it's viewpoint. You get to see numerous violent acts, but each of them has consequences, be it physical or emotional repercussions. It's really hard to shake this film out of my head.

A History of Violence tells the story (very loosely based on a graphic novel) of Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen), a quiet diner owner in Indiana. He is happily married to Edie (the still very hot Maria Bello) and they have two lovely children, Jack and Sarah. Jack is a teenager with a waning spirit, low self esteem, and angst towards his family, just because he's a teenager. Sarah is a bit younger and has nightmares that monsters are in her closet. It's not really important, however.

The Stalls live a typical small town life, quiet and simple, with all the normal problems families have. It's obvious that Tom and Edie are very much in love, and she proves it to him by seducing him in her high school cheerleading outfit. They proceed to have a very steamy sex scene. Nicely done. Thank you, David Cronenberg, for putting Maria Bello in a cheerleader uniform. You are forever my hero.

Anyway, one night while closing up the diner, Tom is visited by two raving sociopaths (Stephen McHattie and Greg Bryk). They come in demanding service, even though it's closing time. Tom, trying to keep the peace, obliges and tries to send everyone home. The sociopaths aren't having this, and proceed to hold everyone at gun point. Something inside of Tom awakens, and he leaps into action to defend the patrons of his diner. He winds up killing both men, (quite graphically) and he takes a knife wound in the foot. Tom is declared a hero in the eyes of the small town, and is even on the news. But that's not necessarily a good thing.

Tom is trying to get life back to normal (he did just kill two men) when Carl Fogarty (Ed Harris) walks into his diner. Fogarty is a gangster from Philadelphia, and he's convinced that Tom is not who he says he is, but is rather Joey Cusack, a psychopathic mob enforcer who took Carl's left eye out with some barbed wire. Tom insists Fogarty has the wrong man, but Carl won;t take no for an answer. And thus begins the many problems and effects that this random act of violence caused.

I really can't give away more of the story, although I want to to discuss it further. Alas, it's more fun to watch where the film takes us, so take my word on this. I went in not knowing anything more than what the trailer shows (and it does leave out quite a bit, which is refreshing for a change in movie marketing). It's worth it to see what happens.

There's a lot to talk about with this movie, though. First, I'll mention that every violent act in the film is done with utmost graphic concern. You see the effects of a shotgun on a human being. Of a regular pistol shot to the top of the head. Of a broken nose shoved into a man's skull. There's a lot of violence in the film, and it reminded me of the brutal nature of Chan-Wook Park. (the man who brought us Oldboy). Cronenberg dwells on these wounds. Sometimes to almost gag inducing levels. (It's not a movie for everyone). But you can't have your cake and eat it too. If you're going to go to this movie because it's violent, Cronenberg is making sure you realize that this violence is not typical movie violence.

The violent choices made by characters have consequences, and he's not afraid to show them. Yes, he dwells on physical aspects, but he also deals with the consequences it has on the sleepy time family in the perfect quiet town. When the father's a hero for committing this act, and his son answers the call of a bully by brutally smashing his face in, you can see the trickle down effect. That violence shouldn't be used to solve problems, but often winds up being the option most taken. I feel Cronenberg succeeds, and then some. (It sure shut up the annoying kids behind me, which was nice. Remind me to go on a rant about jagoffs who don;t turn off their phones in movies, and who use the speaker phone function. And who play songs as their ring tones. And not even good songs like The Final Countdown. Sorry).

The acting is top notch, and Mortensen deserves the most attention. He's fantastic, and thinking upon later events in the film, I want to see the first half again. To see his subtle shifts in character, and internal workings on in his mind. He's far from Aragorn here, and that's okay. At first, i thought he was a bit too bewildered and confused, but it reveals itself as the movie continues. Maria Bello is amazingly attractive, and pretty damn good to boot as the wife trying to make sense of all these acts around her. She cries a lot, and she's even violently assaulted sexually. It's a rough scene to watch, but how she plays it is just.... I can;t even think of a word for it.

Ed Harris is having fun as the tough guy convinced of Stall's true life. He brings swagger and attitude that's fun to watch. And William Hurt, normally looking like he's asleep in movies, is wide awake and having a helluva great time as his character, another gangster. I've read somewhere that Hurt could likely be up for a Best Supporting Actor award for his work here, and though he would deserve it, his role is a little too crazy, and with not nearly enough screen time. Still, he's fun to watch, and that brings a nice bit of levity to the table, even if it's supremely macabre.

Technically, it's a great film. Using frequent cinematographer Peter Suschitzky, Cronenberg tells the story in shadows, where the monsters hide. even when it's plain daylight outside, there's something muted and dark about the film. (Noticeable after the stop of the robbery). There's no flashy editing to amp up tension, or to draw away from the images. It sits there on the screen to wash over you. Beautiful looking flick. Howard Shore's score, very reminiscent of his Silence of the Lambs work, is also fantastic, underscoring scenes perfectly. Damn, this movie worked really well.

And the special fx, although graphic, are very good. disgusting, but good. nothing as disgusting as previous Cronenberg flicks, but still effective, nonetheless.

As I say, it's not a movie for everyone. It is indeed quite violent, and it doesn't have a clear ending. It takes it's time to establish things, and those looking for a quick slam bang affair would do better seeing something else. But for those who like to keep disturbing movies in their heads for awhile, this is the ticket. it asks a lot of your patience and tolerance, but the reward, I feel, is worth it.