History Of Violence DVD [2006]

History Of Violence DVD [2006] Description

On the surface, David Cronenberg may seem an unlikely candidate to direct A History of Violence, but dig deeper and youll see that hes 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 Toms skillful killing of two would-be robbers draws unwanted attention to his idyllic family life in rural Indiana. Hes got a loving wife (Maria Bello) and young daughter (Heidi Hayes) who are about to learn things about Tom they hadnt suspected, and a teenage son (Ashton Holmes) who has inherited his fathers 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 Olsons chilling adaptation). With hard-hitting violence thats as sudden as it is graphically authentic, this is A History of Violence thats worthy of serious study and widespread acclaim.