A History of Violence

This is the first time I had ever seen a film by David Cronenberg and, I must say, if this is his most accessible film, I'd hate to see his more experimental films. That's not to say I didn't like the film; I loved it. A History of Violence takes that favorite Hollywood standby, the violent crime thriller, and twists it in so many different directions, there really is no way to classify it. Viggo Mortensen gives a performance that's worthy of an Oscar nomination, but will probably be overlooked because there's no one specific scene that stands out (which is practically a requirement nowadays).

I'll spare you the details about the plot because, honestly, the less you know, the better. There is not one moment in the film where I was able to predict what would happen next. And when it started getting to the point where I thought I would be able to guess the next scene, the movie ended.

The film works on so many different levels that it'll have you and everyone you take to see it talking until next week. When does violence become "excessive"? Does a peaceful end justify the violent means? At what point does violence become a viable option for resolving conflict? Does it ever? See A History of Violence and let Cronenberg give you his two cents.