A History of Violence (2005)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

David Cronenberg

Writers (WGA):

John Wagner (graphic novel) and
Vince Locke (graphic novel) ...

Release Date:

30 September 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Everyone has something to hide.

Plot:

A mild-mannered man becomes a local hero through an act of violence, which sets off repercussions that will shake his family to its very core.

Plot Keywords:

Nightmare | Disturbing | Garrotting | Drug Abuse | Bullying

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 26 wins & 31 nominations

Cast

Viggo Mortensen	...	Tom Stall
Maria Bello	...	Edie Stall
Ed Harris	...	Carl Fogarty
William Hurt	...	Richie Cusack
Ashton Holmes	...	Jack Stall
Peter MacNeill	...	Sheriff Sam Carney
Stephen McHattie	...	Leland
Greg Bryk	...	Billy
Kyle Schmid	...	Bobby
Sumela Kay	...	Judy Danvers
Gerry Quigley	...	Mick
Deborah Drakeford	...	Charlotte
Heidi Hayes	...	Sarah Stall
Aidan Devine	...	Charlie Roarke
Bill MacDonald	...	Frank Mulligan

Also Known As:

A History of Violence (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong brutal violence, graphic sexuality, nudity, language and some drug use.

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Finland:K-15 | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Philippines:R-13 | Australia:MA | Singapore:R21 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Netherlands:16 | Argentina:16 | France:-12 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Hong Kong:III | Japan:R-15 | Indonesia:Dewasa | Czech Republic:15 | Mexico:C | Brazil:18 | Sweden:15 | Australia:R (original rating) | New Zealand:R18 | Malaysia:(Banned) | Portugal:M/16 | Iceland:16 | Germany:18 (bw) | Italy:T (re-rated) | Italy:VM14 (original rating) | USA:R (certificate #41604) | Israel:16 | UK:18 | Ireland:18 | Norway:18

Filming Locations:

King City, Ontario, Canada

Company:

New Line Productions

Trivia:

Thomas Jane and Harrison Ford turned down the role of Tom Stall.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Tom comes home from the hospital after being treated for a shoulder wound, it is clearly Fall. A short time later the sheriff pulls into the driveway and the trees are all green.

Quotes:

[first lines]
William Orser: So we keep headin' east?
Leland Jones: Yeah, that's the idea.
William Orser: Stay out of the big cities?
Leland Jones: Uh-huh.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "HBO First Look: A History of Violence (#12.21)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Club Hoppin'

An Unsettling Film Which Defies Description (nearly)

Leaving this film (just an hour ago now) I heard a phrase rolling over and over again in my head: "Wow. Wow". I cannot find adequate words to relate. I found myself saying "Why?...Oh my god!...How?...Wow...". The film touches, it festers, crawls all over and inside you. The film does (I think) what Cronenberg intended it to do; frighten. I'm speaking of real fear that is not spoken out loud, not discussed or screamed about,or even fully understood. The best and only word I have to describe the film is that it is "unsettling". I won't discuss the points relating to the sexuality of the film but will quickly address the violence. I read Cronenberg's answers to some questions raised by the film, most relating to the violence itself. He mentions that it is "intimate, nasty, brutish and quick" also going on at length on the utilitarian nature of the violent acts in the film. This is perhaps the first film I've seen to display violence in, what I consider to be, a true sense. It is over so quickly and before one can marvel at it, the guilt and terror washes over like waves in a storm. It's relatively refreshing, albeit downright sickening, to see a film that can still shock the hell out of what is thought to be a desensitized generation. That being said, one must remember that an author, poet, director etc. NEVER has the final say on what a book, poem or film's meaning is or what its symbols or set pieces are about. Each person in turn must have his or her take on the medium. I'd like to close with my final and wholly overriding thought concerning "A History of Violence": It is a film which I desperately wish to see again but equally compelling is the urge to never, ever see it again. Never have such strong yet equally conflicting views about something so trivial as a film entered my psyche. The rating of 10 is based on my personal experience with the film, not necessarily the merit of the film itself. You may interpret that as you will.