A History of Violence - Review

"A History of Violence"
Rating: 4 out of 4 stars

David Cronenberg's 2002 A History of Violence is one of the most fascinating movies I have ever watched. Viggo Mortensen stars as Tom Stall, a small-town dining owner who kills two armed robbers in self-defense. Stall becomes a local hero overnight; however his sudden celebrity draws the attention of mobsters claiming Stall as someone else. Is it a case of mistaken identity or is Stall really a different man than he claims to be? This sums up the central plot in the movie.

Let me get this out of the way: this is not a movie for kids. There's brutal graphic violence, there are rough sexual scenes...it certainly deserves its R rating, not that it should be a problem for 90% of the people here. However, Cronenberg has constructed a masterpiece here. The movie title not only deals with the (supposed) past of Stall, but with our country's obsession with violence as well. Is Stall really a hero for killing two men? Cronenberg poses this, and other questions which I can't give away unless I reveal more plot, for not only the characters in the movie themselves but for the audience.

As for the acting, it's beyond brilliant. I can't think of how the actors could have been cast better. Mortensen plays the lead role with perfection, while Maria Bello is excellent as his wife. William Hurt also impresses in a later part. However, to me the real star of this movie is Ed Harris, who plays lead mobster Carl Fogerty. Harris makes Fogerty as imposing a presence as possible, while doing it with a typical bad guy smile and charm. Although he doesn't get the screen time Mortensen does as the lead, Harris captivates with the time he is given. How he didn't get a nod for Best Supporting Actor is beyond me, but hey, that's the Oscars for you.

Bottom line: This was one of the most compelling movies I've ever watched and I highly recommend it. I could probably go on and go on but I won't, I'll leave that to you guys to see it if you haven't already.