A History of Violence (film)
From AwardAnnals
| Film: | A History of Violence |
|---|---|
| Director: | David Cronenberg |
| Honors: | |
| Genres: | |
| Distributor: | New Line Home Video |
| Find it: |
|---|
Reviews
Amazon.com
On the surface, David Cronenberg may seem an unlikely candidate to direct A History of Violence, but dig deeper and you’ll see that he’s the right man for the job. As an intellectual seeker of meaning and an avowed believer in Darwinian survival of the fittest, Cronenberg knows that the story of mild-mannered small-town diner proprietor Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) is in fact a multilayered examination of inbred human behavior, beginning when Tom’s skillful killing of two would-be robbers draws unwanted attention to his idyllic family life in rural Indiana. He’s got a loving wife (Maria Bello) and young daughter (Heidi Hayes) who are about to learn things about Tom they hadn’t suspected, and a teenage son (Ashton Holmes) who has inherited his father’s most prominent survival trait, manifesting itself in ways he never expected. By the time Tom has come into contact with a scarred villain (Ed Harris) and connections that lead him to a half-crazy kingpin (William Hurt, in a spectacular cameo), Cronenberg has plumbed the dark depths of human nature so skillfully that A History of Violence stands well above the graphic novel that inspired it (indeed, Cronenberg was unaware of the source material behind Josh Olson’s chilling adaptation). With hard-hitting violence that’s as sudden as it is graphically authentic, this is A History of Violence that’s worthy of serious study and widespread acclaim. —Jeff Shannon
Barnes and Noble
Known for surrealist films and a fascination with grotesqueries, Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg won accolades for this seemingly straightforward adaptation of John Wagner and Vince Locke’s graphic novel A History of Violence. The tale introduces Tom Stall, an upstanding citizen of Millbrook, Indiana, an idyllic American small town where everyone seems to be on a first-name basis. Tom, portrayed by Lord of the Rings star Viggo Mortensen, lives a happy, ordinary life with his pretty wife (Maria Bello), teenage son (Ashton Holmes), and young daughter (Heidi Hayes). But one day, two “bad men” walk into Tom’s diner, intent on holding the place up and leaving no witnesses alive. In self-defense, Tom kills the two criminals and is labeled an American Hero by the media, though he is uneasy with all the attention. For good reason: soon, three more “bad men” come to town, one of whom (Ed Harris) claims to know Tom—though he calls him Joey—and is looking to settle an old score. A History of Violence is the kind of all-American movie that could only be made by someone from Canada, a country that’s superficially similar to its southern neighbor but does not share its fascination with guns. Everything is a little too perfect, too nice in Millbrook, and from the unforgettable single-take opening sequence on, tension and dread hang heavy in the air. Cronenberg manages to have his cake and eat it too, crafting a film that works both as a revenge thriller and social critique. Performances from the entire cast are strong but not flashy, apart from William Hurt’s brief, hammy, Oscar-nominated turn as a ghost from Tom’s past. Although Cronenberg restrains his penchant for gore, the film’s brutal acts still register viscerally—making a strong case that no matter how justified, violence is rarely worth the consequences. Bill Pearis
Related works
Now Tom must confront a group of cold-blooded mobsters intent on settling the score. As much as he tries to deny it, he’s a man with a history of violence—and with the lives of his family hanging in the balance, he’ll do anything to make sure his secret past stays buried…forever.
