A History of Violence

[Guest Edgy DC]

A seemingly humble small-town guy emerges as a hero in an attempted stickup, but from his newfound fame brings a question about a past life that he may or may not have led.

[Elster88]

Nothing special.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I found it less than that. I found it un-special.

[metirish]

I had read so much about this movie that I bought it and fuck was I pissed, I need to remember that when critics rave about a flick I need to stay away.

[Vic Sage]

i found it really compelling. It reminded me of Eastwood's UNFORGIVEN.

I like stories that underscore no only our inherent ferocity as a species, but our potential for redemption.

Cronenberg is one of my faves, and i think this is one of his more interesting films.

[Guest Edgy DC]

There's about a hundred loose ends in this.

Minor Spoilers Ahead

A samll-town guy kills two guys who come to town on an interstate killing spree. Then some mafiosi from Philadelphia come a-calling to his midwestern hamlet, they publicly threaten, they leave, they come back, they threaten, there's (without giving too much away) a violent altercation with them, then the hero hops in his pickup to drive back to Philly and settle some old scores, and drives back.

All through this, the FBI never gets involved, and all the small-town guy has to contend with is a small-town sherriff scratching his head and going, "Tom, I've been bouncin' this around my head and sumfin' just ain't addin' up."

No.

Also, somehow, an inexperience teenager manages to leave a house and sneak up on a vicious and experienced (if one-eyed) mobster facing the house, and pick up a shotgun (which he's never used) which was also, when we last checked, in his field of vision.

Unlike Unforgiven, this is filled with slick, polished, stylizied violence. Vioent confilct, it tells me, is sexy and it takes place in sexy environments. The high school corriders and locker-rooms were lit in a perpetual twilight at all hours of the day.

[Elster88]

Actually I did like the scene with Viggo and his brother.

[Guest Edgy DC]

We spent half the movie going, "Yeah, this sucks, but eventually William Hurt is going to show up, probably as a mobster, and there's nothing more fun than a method actor over-playing a mobster."

William Hurt, you did not disappoint me.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

I wanted to see this film before the Oscars, because of the nominations.

I thought it was stupid of them to wait until after the Oscars to release it on DVD. Since it didn't win anything, I have no incentive to rent it now.

[Elster88]

"Over-playing"?

[Guest Edgy DC]

A large characterization. Squeezing a lot of performance into one or two scenes.

[Elster88]

Maybe he's sad at the direction his career has taken.