A History of Violence
The brutal, ominous A History of Violence, loosely adapted from the 1997 graphic novel of the same name by John Wagner and Vince Locke, looks at how individual and social violence frequently collide. It also looks at how the disclosure of a violent past can affect the most important American institution, the family unit. In many of Cronenberg's films, the protagonists undergo transformations that are written directly into their "new flesh" as a result of horribly violent actions. In A History of Violence, those changes happen more slowly and through internalization. Cronenberg is fascinated by the conflict between personalities who share or are divided.
Take for instance the
schizophrenic Dennis Cleg in Spider or the identical twins Beverly and Elliot
Mantle in Dead Ringers. The mind and soul of Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen), a
diner owner from the rural town of Millbrook, Illinois, who had a whole other
life as mob hitman Joey Cusack in Philadelphia, is the primary battleground in
A History of Violence. The film then examines the limits of Tom's meticulously
crafted persona. Cronenberg first presents Millbrook as an idyllic vision of
picturesque Americana filled with upright citizens like Tom before focusing on
the darkness at the edge of town, similar to how David Lynch depicted Lumberton
in Blue Velvet.
Cronenberg finds that darkness both externally (through the
murderers who storm Tom's diner) and internally (through Tom's actions in the
past). It seems only fitting that the first thing will eventually reveal the
second. Tom becomes a local hero as a result of his effective yet ruthless
elimination of the perpetrators, suggesting that American society accepts, if
not expects, violence as a viable solution to any issue. However, Cronenberg
consistently undermines this idea by presenting the violence in the most
unpleasant and unappetizing manner he can. Therefore, it is ironic that his
behavior surprises his family and unleashes their own hidden potential for
violence.
Jack (Ashton Holmes), Tom's son, sends one of his bullies,
Bobby (Kyle Schmid), to the hospital in response to a history of constant
bullying. Jack responds, "No, we shoot them!" when Tom inadvertently
tells the teen that the Stall family doesn't solve their problems by hitting
people. Another bit of irony is that Jack will use a shotgun to kill the
terrifying mob enforcer Carl Fogarty (Ed Harris). Edie, Tom's wife, plays by
Maria Bello and decides to lie to Sheriff Sam (Peter MacNeill) on his behalf,
forcing her to confront the man she now knows to be. Edie suddenly gains the
upper hand after a heated argument and some rough sex on a staircase—a far cry
from the straightforward kink of their early cheerleader-based roleplaying. She
appears to accept the Joey in Tom at the moment, or, at the very least, she is
turned on by his capacity for violence. The enduring archetype of the narrative
shifts when our protagonist returns to Philadelphia.
A History of Violence has been playing around with the
western hero stereotype up until this point: a man of violence who finds
himself forced to slap leather again after hanging up his guns to live a quiet
domestic life. The introduction of Joey's brother Richie (William Hurt), whose
penchant for gallows humor underscores a vein of black comedy that runs
throughout the film, then references the biblical story of Cain and Abel in the
conclusion. The implications of A History of Violence's final few minutes
remain its most troubling. Joey appears to be able to return to Tom by simply
removing the bloody evidence of his cathartic act of fratricide, making it
appear as though Cain could easily remove the mark that identifies him. Water
purification follows violent purification. Additionally, viewers are given a
moment to consider how satisfied they may be with Joey's killing spree during
the contemplative scene at the river's edge. As Tom makes his way back into his
family's embrace, the movie comes to an abrupt end. Before his daughter, Heidi
Hayes, hands him a plate, the dinner table is silent. The sequence comes to a close
with Tom and Edie staring into each other's eyes. It's not immediately clear
what part of Tom has reintegrated into the family or what his reintegration
will mean. Cronenberg brilliantly brings the curtain down at that point without
offering any clear conclusion. That final abrupt transition to black may very
well be the most violent part of A History of Violence. Image/Sound
Criterion presents A
History of Violence in 1080p HD and 2160p UHD using a 4k scan of the
international cut's 35mm camera negative. The costume and set design's finer
details really stand out in the stunning Dolby Vision image. Colors stand out
well, and the black levels are just right deep. The rear speakers do an
excellent job of conveying the film's occasionally active soundscape, and the
audio comes in a Master Audio surround track that cleanly captures the dialogue
and Howard Shore's characteristically mesmerizing score. Extras
Another excellent
commentary track from director David Cronenberg features his trademark dry wit
and insightful commentary on the film's production history, including the
graphic novel as the source material, working on the adaptation, the casting
process, and the actual film shoot. In addition, Cronenberg has a lot to say
about the film's overarching themes and the motivations of the characters. With
writer-producer Tom Bernardo, screenwriter Josh Olson discusses his early straight-to-video
days, pitching the story, and working with Cronenberg. Cronenberg and actor
Viggo Mortensen talk about the three films they've worked on together in these
excerpts from a conversation they had at the 2014 Toronto International Film
Festival, with a focus on A History of Violence.
“Acts of Violence,” a
fascinating hour-long making-of documentary with behind-the-scenes footage and
talking-head commentary on the production process, and a deleted dream sequence
with Mortensen and Harris (viewable with Cronenberg's commentary and its own
brief making-of documentary) round out the collection. Finally, Nathan Lee's
essay on the film's execution and questioning of action thriller conventions
can be found in the enclosed booklet. Overall
The personal and
social consequences of its violent action are rigorously questioned in David
Cronenberg's brutal and brooding A History of Violence.
Comments
Post a Comment