The big picture
- David Cronenberg’s film
A history of violence
asks questions about revenge and the impact of lies from the past on families. - The film differs from traditional action films by placing emphasis on emotional complexity and family dynamics.
-
A history of violence
was a successful adaptation of a graphic novel that led to more mature comic book adaptations.
David Cronenberg is undoubtedly one of the most innovative filmmakers in the body horror genre, as evidenced by his work on classics such as Scanner, The Brood, The Fly, And The inseparables and more made him so well known that the term “Cronenbergian” was often used to describe similar work. There are certainly many innovative filmmakers who have played around with elements of body horror, but Cronenberg’s gift for telling profound human dramas with an undertone of political satire marked him out as an artist who could never be accused of putting “style over substance.” Cronenberg is an original voice responsible for creating many great characters, but he was often at his best when working with already established material and molding it in his own image. In fact, one of Cronenberg’s best films to date based on the DC graphic novel A history of violence.
The idea of an artist of Cronenberg’s caliber making a comic book movie might seem cynical today, but 2005 was a very different time for the industry, when the general backlash against superhero movies had not yet set in. Although there was some excitement following the failures of Batman and Robin And CatwomanFilms like Ang Lee‘S Hulk, Sam Raimi‘S Spider ManAnd Bryan Singer‘S X-Men proved that auteur filmmakers could take the genre seriously. Cronenberg certainly delivered the intensity and emotional complexity one would expect from one of his latest projects, as A history of violence is a scary crime film that analyses the mythology of contract killer films.
A history of violence
A gentle man becomes a local hero after committing an act of violence that has repercussions that shake his family to the core.
- Release date
- 23 September 2005
- Duration
- 98 minutes
What is “A History of Violence” about?
Based on the acclaimed graphic novel of the same name by John Wagner And Vince Locke, A history of violence revolves around a former contract killer who has built a new life as a bartender in Millbrook, Indiana. Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) is not exactly a hero of his hometown, but he is one of the most respected members of the community, as his role in a local bar seemingly makes him a fixture in many people’s lives. Tom has managed to hide any allusions to his past from his wife Edie (Maria Bello) and their children Jack (Ashton Holmes) and Sarah (Heidi Hayes). However, an attack by two local robbers forces Tom to use his former skills and protect the visitors. Although he manages to take down the attackers and is hailed as a hero by his friends in the community, Tom realizes that his identity has been exposed when the gangster Carl Fogarty (Ed Harris) begins to affect his family life.
The brilliance of A history of violence is that it is not a traditional action filmalthough Cronenberg does include some particularly memorable fight scenes that remind us why he is one of the most powerful storytellers in film history. The core of the film’s tension revolves around how much truth Tom wants to confess to his family, and how it causes them to rethink their relationships. The heartbreaking truth that Cronenberg points out is that Tom really does love his family and wants to be a better person, and that the lies were only told to spare them pain. Unfortunately, it’s impossible for Edie to fully believe anything her husband says because he has lied to her about so much of his past. One of the film’s strongest subplots revolves around Tom’s attempt to intervene when Jack fights bullies at school. Although Tom desperately tries to make it clear that hitting people is by no means a solution to a problem, Jack can only laugh at his father and point out how hypocritical he sounds.
“A History of Violence” is a complex analysis of revenge
A history of violence differs from other revenge films because it raises the question of whether revenge is a reward. Given the rumors and stories about Tom that are circulating, he is forced to travel to Philadelphia to face his brother Richie Cusack (William Hurt), a powerful gangster who runs a local crime syndicate. What’s fascinating is that Tom himself has no desire for revenge. He left that life voluntarily because it was emotionally draining. Defeating Richie and his gang may give Tom peace and the knowledge that his family is no longer under active threat, but it also forces him to unleash a dark side that he has long suppressed. Cronenberg is a clever filmmaker who leaves Tom’s emotional confrontation with his actions ambiguous.
A history of violence is clever because it saves a large part of his work for the final actin which Tom takes out his brutality on Richie. This is important because it would be impossible for the viewer to form an objective picture of Tom’s life if he had been shown in all his ruthlessness from the beginning. After seeing him as a loving father figure who genuinely has his family’s best interests at heart, it is far more terrifying to see Tom with the experience of a skilled assassin.
How is “A History of Violence” different from other graphic novel films?
Like most comic book movies released today, A history of violence deviates considerably from the original material. The graphic novel contains several flashbacks that explore Tom and Richie’s past relationship, including a robbery sequence that does not appear in the film. Considering that A history of violence is a fairly short film, it’s impressive that Cronenberg was able to condense the material and still maintain the integrity of the original intent. The film even received an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay, a rarity for a comic book-inspired project.
The success of A history of violence led to the development of further graphic novel adaptations that are not exclusively based on superheroes. Although Sam Mendes‘ Adaptation of Road to Doom had been popular a few years earlier, A history of violence Other DC films aimed at more mature audiences followed, including V for Vendetta, WatchmenAnd Red. Although it was Cronenberg’s last comic book film, he teamed up with Mortensen to make another intense gangster movie with the 2007 masterpiece. Eastern promises. Nevertheless, this adaptation of a DC graphic novel will always remain one of Cronenberg’s most brutal and popular films.
A history of violence can be rented from Amazon in the USA
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