A History of Violence

History Of Violence, A (2005)

Recommendations: Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino, 2009), Requiem for a Dream, Dawn of the Dead

Let me make something clear to you and Mr Mulligan

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A History of Violence
The graphic novel - V - The Cronenberg film

The graphic novel featuring: Lots of violent, vaguely disturbing imagery

The film starring: Viggo Mortensen, Ed Harris, William Hurt, An inexplicably-naked-for-a-second Maria Bello

The Gist: Average Joe Small Town (no, that’s not a new reality show on ABC, that’s Farmer Wants a Wife or something) has some gun-crazy lunatics come into his diner and threaten to kill up the place. He responds by going all Jason Bourne on them and putting bullets in their faces. This plays out pretty much the same way in both the film and the graphic novel but from that point on they choose their own paths. Which one you like better will depend on a number of factors because…

And then what happens?: The graphic novel is all about pulpy, creative violence while the film has it’s own agenda. Possibly about modern gender relations, or family values or something. In that regard there are some real problems with it. They set up the wife character as being pretty together and ballsy for most of it, but then have her turn all bla and weak once things go really wrong. And then there’s the completely gratuitous full frontal nude shot. She comes out of the bathroom without her robe fully closed and then walks away. The end. What’s that all about? I think the extended Naked Viggo Mortensen Plus Knife scene in Eastern Promises was Cronenberg’s way of redressing the balance somewhat. Meanwhile the wife character in the graphic novel is unflappable and even gets a good surprise kill in. They give that to the son in the movie version. Hey women, Hollywood called, it says you’re useless. Now take off your clothes.

Read it for: The ending is quite gasp-intensive. I watched the film to see if they could possibly have the nerve to really go for it but alas twas not to be.

See it for: The part where the son finally snaps and slaps up the school bully. Vicarious thrills for anyone who ever met an asshole.

Level of Crazy: 10 for the novel, 7 for the film. Both worth a look, though you might not want to read it on a crowded train like I did...

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A History of Violence: A Stalled Life

Tom’s life stalls amid the routine and obliging sincerity of his rural existence, until the monsters creep murderously from the shadows and reveal his true face. His past is like his aged pickup truck, rusting away nearly forgotten in the barn as the years take their toll, but whose engine must sputter and spark into life one final time.

Director David Cronenberg shows us the real monsters that stalk our world, and in a child’s scream catapults us to Millbrook, Indiana: a Capra-esque fantasy that will soon be shattered by secrets and violence. The nefarious Joey Cusack has been subsumed by a new identity, and Tom Stall has erased his past and become this new persona. But can the past ever be laid to rest, or will it continue to haunt us, like fear of a malignant tumor once removed whose return means almost certain death? Tom’s Darwinian instincts imbue him with the skill to save innocent lives, but his past is quickly catching up with him.

Cronenberg examines the familial bonds and questions its moral foundation when built upon deceit; is salvation and forgiveness possible? From father to son passes the virulent impulse of destruction, as the bloodshed escalates until there seems to be no other way out…except death. But Tom chooses to confront his past and put Joey to rest forever, to negotiate with his broheim, but water is thicker than blood.

His final rampage leads to a baptism, as he turns his sword into a plowshare and washes away his sins: he is Tom once again. The final mise-en-scene as he enters the kitchen is sublime: his family is eating supper, his traditional place empty, then his daughter sets his plate as his son passes the food while his wife looks down, unable to look upon this stranger. She gathers her strength and meets his tearful gaze as Cronenberg shoots extreme close-up of Tom’s eyes…and we feel the charge of this internal struggle expressed without a single word. Final Grade: (A)

Recommendations: The Birds, Breathless (Jean-Luc Godard, 1960), Funny Games

All reviews copyright Korova, Ltd. Visit Alex at his Home Theatre Blog, http://korovatheatrepresents.blogspot.com/

A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE (2005)

BACK COVER SYNOPSIS: In this thrill-packed actioner, small-town owner, Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy) finds himself a local hero after he successfully takes down two thugs during an attempted robbery. But his sudden celebrity draws unwanted attention from the outside world, including mobsters Carl Fogarty (Academy Award nominee Ed Harris, A Beautiful Mind) and Richie Cusack (Academy Award winner William Hurt, Kiss Of The Spider), who insist that Tom is intricately tied to their past. Fogarty begins stalking Tom’s wife (Mario Bello, The Cooler) and children, resulting in a bloody standoff in which Tom must protect his family from what is either a case of mistaken identity or a violent past that’s finally caught up with him.

FILM REVIEW: “A History Of Violence” is a curiously entertaining film which manages to blend a mainstream-style revenge plot with an off-beat, art-house sensibility. The latter is obviously the influence of director David Cronenberg who is known for taking a more left-of-centre approach to his film-making, and the results in this case are quite good, pulling you in to a story that has many twists and surprises, as well as some rock-solid performances and characters. Only a lame climax, thanks to an over-the-top performance by William Hurt, brings the film down a notch or two.
The film opens with a meticulously choreographed scene which is filmed in one shot. We are introduced to a serial-killing duo of men who at first appear to be leaving from their hotel on a road-trip, but we only realise at the end of the scene that they have murdered the caretakers of the hotel in brutal fashion. This set-up plays in to the themes of violence that are raised throughout the film, particularly in its graphical nature as displayed in this scene.
We are next introduced to Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) who is leading the picture-perfect family life in small town America. He has a loving wife and a smart son who avoids violence at all costs (an early scene sees his son talk his way out of a fight with a bully at school). One day, while Tom is working at the local diner, the serial-killing duo arrive, but Tom, in what appears to be an uncharacteristic display of brutal retaliation, kills the sadistic pair before they are able to inflict any serious harm to anyone. By saving the lives of everyone in the diner, Tom becomes a local hero. However, his new-found fame brings him some unwanted attention, and this is where the film becomes very interesting. A gangster Carl Fogarty (an evil Ed Harris) arrives, claiming he knows Tom as “Joey”. Tom denies this as a case of mistaken identity, but as the plot unfolds, it becomes clear that Tom is actually an ex-mobster who tried to escape that life by creating a softer alter-ego in Tom Stall and moving as far away as possible from the violence in his past.
The complex nature of the relationships that play out following the revelation that Tom actually led a secret mobster life are intriguing to watch, especially with Tom's wife (Maria Bello) who still feels love for Tom but is simultaneously disgusted with him and his lies. The change in his son is also pronounced when he decides to use violence to exact revenge on the school bully. The tug-of-war in allegiances of the characters to Tom make the majority of this film a cut-above the usual revenge flick, as Tom is essentially the hero and the villain at the same time.
The film's stumbling block comes in the Third Act when Tom's brother Richie Cusack (played by William Hurt) demands Tom come to see him. William Hurt is normally a brilliant actor, but somehow he does not look all the comfortable as a gangster, particularly with his over the top performance. It also does not help that there is no physical resemblance between himself and Viggo Mortensen.
After Tom despatches all of the mobsters trying to kill him, including his brother, he returns home and sits down at the dinner table. The dynamic between Tom and his family is still mesmerising, and you almost want the film to continue to see how they resolve their dilemma, but unfortunately, the film ends at this point without warning. Perhaps it was the construction of these final scenes that is to blame, given that there did not seem to be a resolution coming at the appropriate time, or maybe Cronenberg did not want to have a traditional ending. Either way, the ending leaves you hanging on, as if you've been cheated out of the resolution of the story. On this point, the film loses points because an otherwise satisfying and rich storyline is not given a proper conclusion.
“A History Of Violence” is perhaps one of David Cronenberg's best works, and is worth checking out for its atypical take on the revenge film.

TECHNICAL REVIEW: This film looks fabulous on DVD. The video transfer is crisp and clear, without blemishes or digital artefacts. The audio transfer is very clear, and makes great use of the surrounds, particularly in the violent scenes which will make you jump out of your seat. Overall, a great transfer.

EXTRAS REVIEW: Given this is only a single disc DVD release, the extras package is highly impressive. The backbone of the package is an intriguing 8-part documentary on the making of the film which manages to actually go behind the scenes in detail, with documentary footage and cast/crew interviews. The audio commentary by director David Cronenberg is likewise insightful, particularly as Cronenberg gives us many of his thoughts in to what he was trying to achieve with the film. There’s an interesting featurette on the movie’s premiere at Cannes in 2005 which offers a level of behind the scenes access that most people do not see at a premiere film festival event. There’s a deleted scene, and unusually, the making-of the deleted scene, as well as a short featurette highlighting the differences between the USA version and the international version of the film. Overall, this is a great package that works as a perfect complement to the film.

BOTTOM LINE: Rent it.

FILM RATING: 7.5/10 -- EXTRAS RATING: 8.5/10 -- OVERALL DVD RATING: 7.5/10 

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Todd Murphy <br />
http://www.allaboutmovies.net

Last updated: 2010-02-08 21:09:40 by user01