NEW IN THEATERS: A History Of Violence

A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE (2005)

My Rating: **** ½ (out of *****)
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris, Ashton Holmes, William Hurt
Director: David Cronenberg

My Review:

So much can be said of director David Cronenberg's latest film, A History of Violence, that it is tough to know where to begin. For those who have witnessed any of the Canadian filmmaker's other works (eXistenZ, Naked Lunch, and The Dead Zone being among them), you have some idea of what to expect: dark, frightening, bizarre images; gruesome, over-the-top violence; spare cinematography; bleak and troubling visions of humanity and the future; aggressive sexual content. All of these Cronenberg staples are present to one extent or another in History. However, this mesmerizing look at the effects of violence on a small-town American family contains one element previously unseen (at least by this reviewer) in a Cronenberg film: redemption and hope. Intrigued? Read on...

Tom Stall is clearly a family man. He and his wife Edie are deeply in love. They run a cozy diner in small-town Indiana, and care for their two children, teenage Jack and little Sarah. Cronenberg goes to great lengths - almost bordering caricature at times - to show us how much these family members love one another, and how upright, God-fearing, and "normal" they are.

Things get creepy when two menacing strangers (who we see committing brutal, cold-blooded murder at the outset of the film) come into the diner and threaten one of Tom's staff members with an attempted rape. Tom acts instinctively, easily and brutally killing the heartless criminals. The town cheers. Tom is a hero.

From here on out, it's clear that something has gone very, very wrong. Jack (a searing and perceptive performance by Ashton Holmes) has been bullied at school, and up to now, has avoided confrontation with clever words and self-deprecation. Now, perhaps inspired by his father's reaction to being threatened, Jack retaliates with uninhibited rage. Even worse, more strangers come looking for Tom, and two unsettling realities begin to surface: 1) Tom has a dark, violent past, and 2) it isn't about to let him go.

The film's roots in graphic novel/comic book territory become clear as the story unfolds. Sam Mendes' magnificently heart-wrenching Road to Perdition comes to mind. However, History is much more devastating and realistic in its depiction of the widespread, long-lasting, truly ravaging effects that violence and deception can have upon people. The darkness that Tom has tried to suppress and deny for so long begin to leak out in all sorts of cunning and damaging ways. Peace and trust decay, and lives are obliterated left and right, sometimes physically, sometimes spiritually, sometimes in a horrifying combination of the two (consider a graphic sex scene that borders on spousal rape, which this reviewer chose not to witness).

"Where's the hope and redemption?" you might ask. Following the Stalls' journey through to the end is a must. In fact, the final sequence of the film is so rich in symbolic imagery and restrained yet heartbreaking emotion that it easily qualifies as one of the year's most unforgettable cinematic moments. Is forgiveness possible in the face of the most atrocious of acts? Yes, the film subtly but profoundly exclaims. It is interesting and ironic that Cronenberg, a professing athiest, has provided us with an incredibly powerful portrayal of forgiveness and grace in the face of horrendous, willful sins - the very essence of Christianity.

On a technical and artistic level, the film is one of 2005's most rewarding. The cinematography and music (a reliable Howard Shore) are spare, bleak, and evocative, even when depicting the early, idyllic life of the Stall family. The cast also provides some of the year's best work, especially a smoldering, multilayered Viggo Mortensen as Tom, William Hurt as a perversely witty mobster, and the aforementioned Ashton Holmes as Tom's son. But it is Maria Bello who almost steals the film as Tom's bewildered wife. Her journey from confusion, to terror, to disbelief, to rage, and finally to disillusionment, is shattering, palpable, and utterly magnetic.

I would not recommend this film to many people. But, for those who can handle its gruesome displays, A History of Violence is one of the most spiritually affecting offerings of the year. It will haunt you, disturb you, and hold you in its brutally hopeful grip for days and weeks to come.

R, for strong bloody violence and gore, two scenes of graphic sexuality with nudity (one involving aggressive, violent behavior), strong language, and mature thematic elements