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A History of Violence Our rating: Rate this movie   MPAA rating: R (for strong brutal violence, graphic sexuality, nudity, language and some drug use) Genre: Crime, Drama, Gangster, Thriller Theater release: September 30, 2005 by New Line Cinema Directed by: David Cronenberg Runtime: 1 hour 37 minutes Cast: Viggo Mortensen (Tom Stall), Maria Bello (Edie Stall), William Hurt (Richie Cusack), Ed Harris (Carl Fogarty), Ashton Holmes (Jack Stall), Heidi Hayes (Sarah Stall) Related: Talk About It/Family Corner

The Godfather saga. Apocalypse Now. Full Metal Jacket. Unforgiven. The Passion of the Christ. They've all been rightfully celebrated as artful, original explorations of dark subject matter, unflinching in their portrayals of human evil. Each film leaves viewers exhausted, bruised by depictions of gross violence. This is not mere "entertainment." Many viewers would be wise to avoid them altogether. Not all sensibilities are equipped for such troubling explorations.

A History of Violence belongs on that list. If you buy a ticket for this nightmarish vision, proceed with extreme caution … and vigilant conscience. It is a supremely executed and revelatory work on the nature and consequences of physical, emotional, psychological, and sexual violence. But while it is cleverly crafted and meaningful, it is not pleasant or uplifting. Just as it takes a strong, discerning doctor to cut into a human body and search for the disease amidst the gore, so it takes a certain kind of moviegoer to glean insight from David Cronenberg's discomforting exploration of human misbehavior.

Viggo Mortensen changes from a peaceful man to a violent one

The Fly, Dead Ringers, Spider—Cronenberg's is a history of violent stories. With Violence, he'll likely earn an Oscar nomination for direction. John Olson's screenplay is cleverly adapted from a graphic novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke. Peter Suschitzky's cinematography meticulously conceals enough information to keep us on edge. The supporting cast—Maria Bello, Ashton Holmes, Ed Harris, and above all the show-stealing William Hurt—delivers complex performances. But the movie belongs to Viggo Mortensen, who gives his strongest, most intuitive performance. It'll take fifteen minutes for you to forget all about his role as Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Tom Stall (Mortensen), owner of a diner in Millbrook, Indiana, is a faithful husband and a caring father. He enjoys a quiet, peaceful existence. That all changes when violent thugs threaten his employees and customers; his response—which involves a gun and a mean pot of coffee—catapults him into the headlines as "an American hero." From the moment he achieves hero status, Tom begins to observe undesirable consequences of his courageous feat.

First, there's the immediate damage done to the victims. One man watches his life bleed away from the hole where his jaw used to be.

Second, Tom's relationship with his teen-age son Jack (Holmes) changes. What kind of example has Tom set? Viewers cheer when Jack uses his wits to escape from locker-room bullies. Should we hope that he'll follow in Tom's footsteps and resort to violent retaliation next time?

Maria Bello and Mortensen play the roles of Edie and Tom Stall

Third, Tom's intimacy with his wife Edie (Bello) suffers. Early in the film, their date-night sex involves some playful bedroom role-playing, as Edie dons her old high school cheerleader uniform and whispers that their parents are next door. Their interest in imagining danger and indiscretion only scratches the surface of the baser appetites and dark secrets they're harboring. As the two encounter each others' darker selves and become strangers, their sex life deteriorates into contentious, bruising power plays. (Again, viewer beware: These are adults-only sex scenes, but they're not pornographic—they're devoid of glamour and gratuitous nudity, filmed clinically to communicate essential information about a changing relationship.)

Finally, what are the Stalls to do about the sinister strangers who pay a visit to America's hero? Irish gangster Carl Fogarty (Ed Harris) and his thugs claim they recognize Tom. Is his real name "Joey Cusack?" Is he concealing a violent past, where scores remain unsettled?

Soon, Tom and Edie are defending against these accusations with more violence. There's no "panic room" in this house. And whether or not Tom is "Joey," he and his family are about to learn disturbing things about each other …

It would take a book-length review to explore all of the film's provocative implications. Here are a few lenses through which to examine this nightmare.

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