A History of Violence (New Line Platinum Series)
by David Cronenberg
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Ashton Holmes, Ed Harris, Maria Bello, Viggo Mortensen, William HurtDirector: David Cronenberg
Brand: MORTENSEN,VIGGO
Producer: Cale Boyter
Producer: Chris Bender
Producer: J.C. Spink
Producer: Jake Weiner
Writer: John Wagner
Writer: Josh Olson
Writer: Vince Locke
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 96 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-03-14
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: New Line Home Video
Movie Reviews of A History of Violence (New Line Platinum Series)
Movie Review: See in Parallel with "Eastern Promises"
Summary: 5 Stars
This is an interesting, if brutal, movie.
In it, Viggo Mortensen plays a Dr. Jekyll who is gradually revealed to be harboring a Mr. Hyde inside.
The revelation disrupts--although it saves--his family completely. For physical survival, he trades emotional health.
The movie is a flip of Cronenberg's "Eastern Promises." There, Mortensen plays a Mr. Hyde, a Russian mobster, who is gradually revealed to have a Dr. Jekyll inside.
"Violence" integrates the emotional (the female) part of the movie with the violent (male) part than "Eastern Promises."
But both movies do a very good job of contrasting, and interweaving the two incompatible sides.
Offbeat and disturbing and memorable.
Summary of A History of Violence (New Line Platinum Series)
An average family is thrust into the spotlight after the father (Viggo Mortensen) commits a seemingly self-defense murder at his diner.DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Director David Cronenberg Commentary
Deleted Scenes:Deleted scene w/director commentary
Documentary:"Acts of Violence" documentary
Easter Eggs
Featurette:"The Unmakeing of Scene 44" "Violence's History: U.S. vs. International Versions" "Too Commercial for Cannes"
On the surface, David Cronenberg may seem an unlikely candidate to direct A History of Violence, but dig deeper and you'll see that he's the right man for the job. As an intellectual seeker of meaning and an avowed believer in Darwinian survival of the fittest, Cronenberg knows that the story of mild-mannered small-town diner proprietor Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) is in fact a multilayered examination of inbred human behavior, beginning when Tom's skillful killing of two would-be robbers draws unwanted attention to his idyllic family life in rural Indiana. He's got a loving wife (Maria Bello) and young daughter (Heidi Hayes) who are about to learn things about Tom they hadn't suspected, and a teenage son (Ashton Holmes) who has inherited his father's most prominent survival trait, manifesting itself in ways he never expected. By the time Tom has come into contact with a scarred villain (Ed Harris) and connections that lead him to a half-crazy kingpin (William Hurt, in a spectacular cameo), Cronenberg has plumbed the dark depths of human nature so skillfully that A History of Violence stands well above the graphic novel that inspired it (indeed, Cronenberg was unaware of the source material behind Josh Olson's chilling adaptation). With hard-hitting violence that's as sudden as it is graphically authentic, this is A History of Violence that's worthy of serious study and widespread acclaim. --Jeff Shannon
On the DVD
On a single disc and with little fanfare, this DVD makes an excellent case for the best extras of the year. Dive into the one-hour-long documentary and learn more about moviemaking than on many a double-disc. The secret lies in director David Cronenberg's (and his usual crew) folksy casualness in showing off the craft, be it makeup (green screens were used), directing (Cronenberg doesn't storyboard), or art direction (the diner set). It also is very funny to hear about "fish Fridays" and how Maria Bello's Uncle Pete became an influence. Even the infamous sex-on-the-staircase scene is diagnosed with candor as stars Viggo Mortensen and Bello act as if there is no backstage camera. There's only one deleted scene, but it's uncommonly deconstructed on why it was filmed and why it was cut (it's a very Cronenbergian dream sequence). A short bit on Cannes is also a delight. So much is here that Cronenberg's smart commentary track is nearly superfluous. Isn't that a nice surprise? --Doug Thomas
More to Explore
 The Graphic Novel |  Other Graphic Novels that Inspired Movies |  David Cronenberg Essentials |
 Why We Love Maria Bello |  The work of Viggo Mortensen |  The work of William Hurt |
Stills from A History of Violence
 Viggo Mortensoe as Tom Stall |  Ashton Holmes as Jack Stall and Kyle Schmid as Bobby Jordan |
 William Hurt as Richie Cusack |  Ed Harris as Carl Fogarty and Viggo Mortensen as Tom Stall |
 Maria Bello as Edie Stall |  Director David Cronenberg |
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