Review: A History of Violence
I finally got to see A History of Violence the other day (it opened here in Sweden three weeks ago), and I found it to be a very rewarding cinematic experience . I have noticed that opinions have been very varied, and I suppose it is one of those films that doesn’t fit everyone.
Based on the graphic novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke, A History of Violence tells the story about the mild-mannered family man Tom Stall, who becomes a local hero after defending his diner from a pair of fugitive criminals. But the following media coverege attracts attention, and Stall’s diner is visited by a scarred mobster who greets him as Joey Cusack and claims to know him from Philadelphia…
I havn’t read the graphic novel, but I think David Cronenberg presents the story in a gritty, mundane tone that could be true to the atmosphere of the original medium. The whole film feels quite unspectacular – and that I mean in a positive sense, as I think that solid, straight-forward films are becoming too few and far apart in the main stream.
The cast is overall good, Maria Bello plays the part of Stall’s wife very well, as well as Ed Harris as Carl Fogarty, the aforementioned mobster. And then there’s Viggo Mortensen, who hasn’t made any particular impression on me, just an actor among others – until now, that is. I found this performance absolutely remarkable, but I can’t really put it in words. The same goes for the story, which I feel is of the kind that is hard to discuss unless I’m talking to someone who also has seen the film. I think much of its effect lies in the impression on the viewer, rather then in the plot itself.
There has been a few remarks regarding the violence and sexual content, but personally I don’t think it was any excessive amounts. In comparsion titles like, for example, Sin City and Kill Bill, had much more of that, but perhaps the mundane atmosphere of A History of Violence gives it a stronger, more realistic impact. Or maybe those complaints were from people who thought “Oh, I loved Viggo in LOTR and Hidalgo, I have to see this!”
In conclusion I have to say this is one of my favorite movies of the year, in close competition with Oldboy and Million Dollar Baby (I know those were originally released in 2003 and 2004 respectively, but they didn’t open here until this year so they’re on my 2005 list)
