A history of violence (2005)

Thriller / Directed by David Cronenberg

PLOT

When violence comes to the small town of Millbrook, an ordinary and happily married man shows uncanny skill with a gun to protect his diner from passing criminals. His newfound fame draws a scarred mobster from Philadelphia who claims Tom Stall is really Joey Cusack, a hitman everyone believed to be dead.

REVIEW

My review of “Possession” two months ago led to a conversation with

A.P. Murphy

where David Cronenberg was brought up. The Canadian director has a daunting reputation for someone like me who isn’t really into horror—least of all body horror. Yes, I enjoyed “Possession,” but you know what they say: there are exceptions to every rule!

Of course, Cronenberg has made movies beyond what he is known for—perhaps most famously “The dead zone.” But aside from that one, the others I’ve seen from him were all horror films. So I thought it was time I explored some of his non-genre work and decided to try the titles A.P. recommended—starting with “A history of violence.”

The movie starts outside a motel, where two men are preparing to check out. There is a lot of silence here, only broken by short and trite commentary from one of the two. Interestingly, the title is displayed next to them, as they’re wasting time away, and the viewer gets a sense of unease, as if something bad is about to happen—all the more so when you are familiar with the director’s work.

I’ll try to avoid spoilers, so let me just say this opening is brilliant in how it juxtaposes such a (deceitfully) peaceful moment with an act of intense brutality—bestiality, even. Cronenberg pulls it off smoothly and, amazingly, without being too graphic.

After this short prelude, we meet our hero—Tom Stall—and his family. Starting with his daughter who wakes up after having had a nightmare about ‘monsters’ (a great transition from the previous scene). We then follow him to work and learn he owns a diner. We also get a glimpse of his son’s life and see how Jack is being bullied but is smart enough to talk his way out of a beating.

Now that we’ve met the kids, the director shows us Tom is in a loving relationship with his wife. The two get along very well and, in many ways, you could call this the perfect life in the perfect town—a small one, where everyone knows everyone.

Things take an ugly turn when two monsters drive into town and land at Tom’s diner... Wait, Tom’s diner? Ha! I hadn’t connected those dots until now. For those unfamiliar with that title, “Tom’s diner” was an 80s hit song by Suzanne Vega, and now I’m wondering if there was intent here... Probably not.

So anyway, we now have a bit of a situation. Because the two killers are about to do nasty things to Tom’s customers, and Tom will have none of that. And, all of a sudden, this normal, ordinary man, turns into a killing machine, leading to the most graphic scene in the film (it reminded me of Prince Oberyn’s death in Game of thrones).

As is to be expected, this event turns the man’s life upside down. First, he becomes a local hero—that part is cool. But then a mobster with a burned face shows up claiming that Tom is in fact a hitman named Joey.

Tom spends most of the film denying this, claiming it’s a case of mistaken identity. I won’t say more about it, but it does bring him (and his family) a hell lot of grief—and that’s putting it mildly.

This is a great movie. Each scene is crafted with great attention to detail, instilling a constant sense of foreboding in the viewer’s mind. The acting is flawless—Viggo Mortensen as Tom Stall in particular.

That’s not to say the film is perfect. There are some minor issues. For instance, when he walks to work instead of driving despite a nasty wound on his foot... Why not take the car? The follow-up scene has him rushing back home (it’s a long walk—or run, in this case) and he makes it in record time—again, despite his wound. There are a few other inconsistencies in this scene, but these are the only ones I noticed in the entire movie.

There’s an interesting switch of POV that happens toward the end, when for a few minutes we see things through Richie’s eyes instead of Tom’s. It’s an unusual move, but it does add to the suspense and makes the scene more intense.

And speaking of intense...

The final scene is a powerful one. I won’t spoil it, but can I just say that it’s masterfully shot and acted? Three minutes of silence, where all is said through the characters’ gestures and looks.

If you’re tired of Hollywood blockbusters—or want a respite—this might just be the breath of fresh air you need. Both artsy and entertaining at the same time.

So what about you? Have you watched this movie?

What did you think of it?

Which is your favorite David Cronenberg film?

Tell us in the comments.

The entire Stall family after Tom becomes a local hero.

TRIVIA NOTES

• Canadian director David Cronenberg made a name for himself in the 70s and 80s when he created the body horror niche through films such as “The parasite murders,” “Rabid,” “The brood,” “Scanners,” “Videodrome,” or “The fly.” He is perhaps best known for directing “The dead zone,” based on a Stephen King novel. Other works include “Dead ringers,” “Naked lunch,” “Crash,” “eXistenZ,” and “A dangerous method.”

• Viggo Mortensen made his screen debut in Peter Weir’s “Witness” in 1985. This was followed by small parts in an episode of Miami vice and many other films such as “The Indian runner,” “Carlito’s way,” “Crimson tide,” “Albino alligator,” and “A perfect murder.” He shot to international fame when he played Aragorn in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. He starred in three other Cronenberg films (“Eastern promises,” “A dangerous method,” and “Crimes of the future”) and played the lead in “Captain Fantastic” and “Green book,” among other titles.

• After small parts in film and television, Maria Bello came to attention when she joined the main cast of ER for the show’s fourth season. She went on to play in “Payback” with Mel Gibson, “Coyote Ugly,” “Assault on Precinct 13,” “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor,” and “The company men” with Ben Affleck and Kevin Costner. On television, she starred in the short-lived Prime suspect and Touch. More recently, she was in the main cast of NCIS for four seasons (2017-21).

• William Hurt began playing on the stage before getting his big break in Ken Russell’s “Altered states” (1980) and attained international fame with “Body heat” the following year. Other notable roles include “The big chill,” “Gorky Park,” “Broadcast news,” “The accidental tourist,” “Dark city,” Spielberg’s “A.I.,” and Shyamalan’s “The village.” He also plays Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (five films to date). Television credits include episodes of Kojak and Saturday night live. He was also on the main cast of Damages, Humans, Beowulf, Goliath, and Condor.

• After starring in the quirky “Knightriders,” Ed Harris gained wider recognition when he joined the ensemble cast of “The right stuff.” This was followed by smaller and bigger parts in a variety of films, including “Under fire,” “To kill a priest,” James Cameron’s “The Abyss,” “Glengarry Glen Ross,” Oliver Stone’s “Nixon,” Ron Howard’s “Apollo 13,” “The Truman Show,” Howard’s “A beautiful mind,” “Snowpiercer,” and “Top Gun: Maverick.”

• Canadian actor Stephen McHattie is best known for his work in television, having appeared in hundreds of episodes for shows such as Starsky and Hutch, Hill Street blues, The Equalizer, Miami vice, Law & order, Seinfeld, Quantum leap, The X-Files, Star Trek: Deep Space 9, Star Trek: Enterprise, or Fringe. He had recurring roles in Centennial, Beauty and the beast, Orphan black, and October Faction, and was in the main cast of Scene of the crime, Emily of New Moon, Cold squad, and Essex County. Film credits include “Von Richthofen and Brown,” “Beverly Hills cop III,” “300,” “Watchmen,” Roland Emmerich’s “2012,” and the 2018 remake of “Death wish” with Bruce Willis.

• British cinematographer Peter Suschitzky has worked on several iconic films such as “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” “Lisztomania,” “The Empire strikes back,” and “Mars attacks!” In 1988, he began a long association with David Cronenberg when he lensed “Dead ringers.” Other films the two have made together include “Naked lunch,” “Crash,” “eXistenZ,” and “A dangerous method.” His father, Wolfgang Suschitzky, was also a cinematographer.

• Howard Shore is best known for having scored the “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” trilogies. He has worked consistently with Cronenberg since “The brood.” His other credits include scores for “The silence of the lambs,” “Sliver,” “Mrs. Doubtfire,” Tim Burton’s “Ed Wood,” David Fincher’s “Seven” and “Panic room,” Martin Scorsese’s “Gangs of New York,” and Peter Jackson’s “King Kong.” Early in his career, he was a musical director on Saturday night live and later composed the theme music for The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien and The rings of power.

CREDITS

Directed by David Cronenberg.

Screenplay by Josh Olson, based on the graphic novel by John Wagner & Vince Locke.

Produced by Chris Bender & JC Spink.

Music by Howard Shore.

Cinematography by Peter Suschitzky.

Edited by Ronald Sanders.

Starring Viggo Mortensen as Tom Stall, Maria Bello as Edie Stall, William Hurt as Richie Cusack, Ashton Holmes as Jack Stall, Stephen McHattie as Leland Jones, Peter MacNeill as sheriff Sam Carney, Ed Harris as Carl Fogarty, Greg Bryk as Billy, Kyle Schmid as Bobby, Aidan Devine as Charlie Roarke, Bill MacDonald as Frank Mulligan.

Produced by BenderSpink.

Distributed by New Line Cinema.

Released on September 23, 2005.

Running time: 97 minutes.

Genre: Thriller.

Poster design by Intralink.

—

Share your thoughts in the comments! I would love to hear them.

If you enjoyed this review, please feel free to forward it to your friends or to share it on social media.

And don’t forget to like by clicking the little heart below this post ;)

Thanks for reading Screen Views! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

—

Text (c) 2024 by Alex S. Garcia.

Header image: screenshot of the film’s title card.

Film poster courtesy of IMP Awards.