Matt Stone
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A History of Violence
Directed By: David Cronenberg
Studio: New Line
Year: 2005
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 (Anamorphic)
Running Time: 96 Mins.
Rating: R (Strong Brutal Violence, Graphic Sexuality, Nudity, Language and Some Drug Use)
Audio: 5.1 Dolby Digital (English), 2.0 Dolby Digital (English)
Subtitles: English, and Spanish
MSRP: $28.98
Street Date: 14 March, 2006
Review Date: 14 March, 2006
(Ratings are out of five stars)
Summary
You've seen the trailers, maybe even read the comic book, but I'm not going to get into too many plot details in this review. Viggo Mortensen plays small-town diner-owner, Tom Stall, who when push comes to shove is able to fend off a couple of thieves/murderers/etc. It isn't long before a group of crime syndicate goons come to town assuming Tom is long-lost Mafioso, Joey Cusack. That's all your getting out of me. Needless to say, Cronenberg is able to effectively blend all of his artistic elements (direction, cinematography, acting, etc) into a brilliant film.
Cronenberg introduces a corruptive, menacing element early on. In fact, the opening sequence of a film does a lot to set up the overall tone and style. Cronenberg presents us with slow developing, visual storytelling highlighted with moments of grisly violence. This tone is achieved through excellent cinematic vision. Lighting and composition are both used very effectively in A History of Violence. A subdued autumnal color scheme is tweaked with the use of light and shadows to express subtext and atmosphere. The composition and framing of the film reminded me of Lynch. Cronenberg's picturesque representation of small-town life with a dark twist was like something out of Blue Velvet. Moving shots were used sparingly, but very effectively and even Cronenberg's static shots had a kinetic energy about them. Characters tilted their heads or the camera was pointed in a way that showed off the structural angles of the shot. It made for a very substantial 3D look to the film as opposed to something shot flatter without any depth of field. Howard Shore's atmospheric score also helped define the film. It's mostly subdued but occasionally rises to a triumphant climax. There are always hints of menace in the music. In fact, it reminded me a lot of Shore's exceptional Silence of the Lambs score.
The acting is terrific. Nuance is on display and even Ed Harris (who I believed would come a cross much more cartoonish) underplays his role to a very solid level. Maria Bello (Tom Stall's wife) plays an excellent emotional barometer for the film. William Hurt was deserving of his Oscar nom with his unique performance. I can say it's like nothing I've ever seen Hurt do. He wasn't in he film much, but he had a huge impact. Viggo is Viggo. The guy has the ability to make most roles better, and this one is no exception. He comes across as completely natural and down-to-earth, with subtle hints of something darker. Whether Tom is in fact Joey Cusack in hiding, the penetrating explosion of violence in his life awakens something else. With the flip of a switch, Viggo is able to convey an entirely different personality, both menacing and calculating.
There is an absolute crazy level of gore in this film. It's always tied to utterly brutal events that pop up like exclamation points to plot details. Nobody directs violence like Cronenberrg and he's at top form in this film. It's ironic that the gore level is over-the-top, but Cronenberg tells the story through subtext and visual storytelling. On the whole, the movie is very subtle underscored with moments of deafening violence. The film examines our perception of violence with the use of great bookend moments. What defines a heroic act? An aggressive act?..etc. The film gives no definite answer, but certainly provokes the viewer to an opinion of some sort. Cronenberg visually explores this theme with a high level of skill.
It's movies like this that get me excited about movies. I feel like I could write a book about it, but if I keep going on, I know I'll never stop. I'd also probably give away the entire ploy, and we can't let that happen. You need to see this film for yourself. Rent it, buy it, just find it.
Film Rating: :star::star::star::star:1/2
Video
The video was a little on the grainy side. I’ve said before that grain doesn’t bother me, and that was certainly the case here. For this film, the dirt and grime worked. It didn’t seem to have been done in an arbitrary manner. I did not get the chance to see this film theatrically, but it seems to be well represented on the DVD. The colors looked very natural and the excellent lighting presented beautifully on the DVD. Another top-notch job from the always excellent New Line Studios.
Video Rating: :star::star::star::star:
Audio
New Line has also done a great job presenting the audio portion of this film. While most of the movie is a talking-heads drama, the score and action scenes were showcased effectively. The sound comes primarily out of the front channels, but rears are used for ambiance and music. Howard Shore’s brilliant score sounds beautiful and enveloping, while voices sound crisp and clear. I didn’t notice any problems with hiss on the dialog channel or any other audible anomalies.
Audio Rating: :star::star::star::star:
Extras
Commentary with David Cronenberg – David Cronenberg is a very interesting guy that doesn’t have too much trouble talking about his films. He occasionally falls into the trap of narrating and there are a few quiet moments, but overall a very interesting commentary. Cronenberg discusses everything from the film’s production, the acting, up through the thematic element. I haven’t listened to a Cronenberg commentary before, but I may have to dig up my old DVDs and give them a spin.
Acts of Violence (1 Hr. 6 Mins.) – This is an interesting feature. It breaks up the different acts of violence in the film and allows you to view a little analysis/documentary about each scene. You can also utilize a play all feature and have the sequence play as more of an all-encompassing behind-the-scenes documentary. There’s a lot of interviews edited together with on-set footage. As a big fan of the movie and Cronenberg, I found this all to be very interesting. It’s a very intricate look at the film’s production.
Scene 44 (Deleted Scene) (2:46) – An interesting look deleted scene that was finished for the DVD (almost reminiscent of the Star Wars prequel DVDs). You have the option to listen to a commentary from Cronenberg over the scene where he discusses reasons for dropping it and his acceptance of special features on DVD.
The Unmaking of Scene 44 (7:04) – A more detailed look at the previous deleted scene made up of on-set footage and interviews.
Violence’s History: United States Version vs. International Version (1:23) – A very brief look at the differences (2 very small changes) between the US (R-Rated) and International releases of the film.
Too Commercial for Cannes (8:59) – This featurette looks at A History of Violence’s appearance at the Cannes Film Festival.
The DVD also features some trailers of other New Line films.
Extras Rating: :star::star::star::star:
In Closing…
People can talk about the Oscar controversy between Crash and Brokeback Mountain, but A History of Violence is the best film that came out of 2005. It marks an absolute return to brilliance for David Cronenberg. With the extensive extras and solid DVD presentation, any casual fan of the film should pick this one up. I’m happy to say that of all the films I’ve reviewed here at the HTF, A History of Violence is the first that I can highly recommend.
Overall Rating: :star::star::star::star:1/2
Matt Stone
14 March, 2006
