A History of Violence

Rated R; Starring Viggo Mortensen, Ed Harris, Maria Bello and William Hurt

Directed by David Cronenberg

Seeing “A History of Violence” at the movie theater was an unusual experience for me, but not because of the film itself. Rather, it was the first time I sat through a show where the curse-count was higher amongst audience members than it was for the actors on the big screen.

Let me explain: There were a few immature guys in the back of the theater who felt it neccesary to loudly comment on every scene of the film. As the film’s intensity increased, so did the tension inside the theater. Before long, hushes turned into harassing slurs and the theater quickly emptied out.

For the theater, the comments may have led to lost profit through refunds but for me it did two things: 1) it increased the film’s tension and 2) it made me wonder “why do we have such a history of violence?”

The second question is not easily answered and, thankfully, the film makes no attempt to point its finger. Instead, “A History of Violence” tells the story of a loving family man who may or may not have had a past criminal history.

The question arises after a mysterious man (played by Ed Harris), wearing a black suit and dark shades to hide an eye-scar, shows up at Tom Stall’s small-town diner.

The man, Carl Fogarty, insists that Tom’s real name is Joey and that he is a former assassin from Philadelphia.

Tom’s wife, Edie (Maria Bello), believes in her husband but cannot help but wonder how Tom was able to fight off two late night robbers single-handedly at the diner.

Another somewhat distracting story surrounds Tom’s teenage son, Jack (Ashton Holmes), who is bullied around by his classmates. When Jack begins to use his fists to solve problems, it implies that violence will be around in the future, as well.

The film, which is based on a graphic novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke, will certainly not please every moviegoer with its dark storyline and gruesome violence. It should, however, satisfy anyone who appreciated director David Cronenberg’s previous films, which include “Videodrome” and “Dead Ringers.”

It’s also easy to appreciate the performances from Mortensen and Bello. Mortensen does a fine job playing Tom, a role that is unlike anything he has ever done before. Meanwhile, Bello gives a standout performance as his confused but dedicated wife; she should be remembered around award season.

The film, however, will probably not be mentioned much around award season because it doesn’t quite have what it takes to please a widespread audience. It doesn’t keep you thinking for days like “Crash” did, nor does it entertain audience members at the level of “Cinderella Man.” Instead, I’m guessing that “A History of Violence” will end up with “The Interpreter” and “The Constant Gardener” as a good film of 2005 that will be forgotten much too soon.

Grade: B

Return to Main Page