A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE

Canada, 2005, 97 minutes, Colour.
Vigo Mortensen, Maria Bello, William Hurt, Ed Harris, Stephen Mc Hattie, Ashton Holmes.
Directed by David Cronenberg.

David Cronenberg has been exploring all kinds of themes of violence for more than thirty years. He began with parasites and rabid plagues and broods, segued into more mainstream styles with Videodrome and The Dead Zone, but always veered towards the bizarre from Dead Ringers and Naked Lunch to ExistenZ and Spider.

Which means that some critics are going to scold him for now making a well-crafted American mainstream drama. Initially, one might think that this is going to be a kind of Desperate Hours where thugs besiege a family. It is not. Cronenberg’s film is based on a graphic novel (and some of the violence is graphic also) where drawings are bold and dialogue is sometimes fierce. However, we are first led into lyrical, non-violent, happy times for a family. When the violence breaks out, it is not where we anticipated it.

Viggo Mortensen does a persuasive job as the loving quiet family man who surprises everyone. A good cast includes Maria Bello as his strongminded wife, Ed Harris as a suited gangster and William Hurt as a maniacal organised crime boss.

It is easy to poke fun at picket fence idealised family life in the American Midwest but, given some vicious options in the US gun culture, most of us would feel safer there.

1. This film in David Cronenberg’s career, a focus on violence? The weirder aspects of his films? This film more mainstream?

2. American-style movie, well crafted? Visual style, editing, the musical score and atmosphere?

3. The title and its relevance for American history? Violence in fighting, crime, oppression, society, personal, abuse and response?

4. The title and its place in the American gun culture, the use of guns, threats, murders? Self-defence? Protection of others?

5. The impact of the prologue, the two criminals, their talking, driving the car to the office, the delay, getting the water, the dead bodies and the man ignoring them, the child with her doll, his reassuring her, shooting her? Their going on their journey? The tone for the film?

6. The contrast with Millbrook, Indiana, a nice town, pleasant homes, a good sheriff, the diner and the customers, the workers there, the Mother and Daughter Shop? The school? A pleasing town, the American middle west dream?

7. The character of Tom Stahl, work at the diner, at home with Edie, his children? Picking each other up, working together? Edie taking him – and compensating for their lack of teenage years together? The relationship with Jack, with Sarah? His relationship with the staff at the diner?

8. The criminals, their arrival in Millbrook, the diner, their threats, Tom’s quiet and reasonable reaction, their pulling the gun, his swift movements, killing the criminals, saving the people in the diner? In hospital, coming out, the TV welcome, his unwillingness to be interviewed?

9. Fogarty and his crew arriving, wanting coffee, paying the money, Fogarty calling Tom Joey Cusack, the constant denials? Edie and her puzzle, her antagonism towards Fogarty? The audience knowing Tom’s skills with his fists, legs and gun? Edie ringing the sheriff, his pulling them up on the highway? Not wanting them back because it was a nice town?

10. The aftermath, the visit of the sheriff, Tom’s continued denials?

11. Jack, teenage, at school, playing baseball, the final catch, the bully and his threatening Jack, in the locker room? Jack and his ability to make jokes, the bully backing off? Jack on Saturday night with Judy, their talk, her feeling of depression? The bully and his doing the U-turn – and backing down with the driver of the other car? In the school corridor, taunting Jack again, Jack’s outburst and violence like his father?

12. Tom seeing the car at the diner, ringing Edie, running home to protect them? Fogarty and his going to the mall, with Sarah at the shoe shop, the clash with Edie, his telling her what Joey had done to his face? Edie’s reaction? Threats, restraining order?

13. Tom, his reaction to Jack’s suspension, their clash, his saying hitting was not good, his hitting his son? The tension between father and son?

14. The return of Fogarty to the house, the threats, their taking Jack? Tom and his bargaining, their letting Jack go? Tom turning the tables, killing the aggressors, Fogarty pulling his gun on him – and the irony of Jack shooting him?

15. The reactions, Edie, Tom pursuing her up the staircase, the sexual encounter, his violence with her, her response – and then shunning him, literally locking him out?

16. The phone call, his driving to Philadelphia, meeting with Reuben, the drive to Richie’s house, his comments? The embrace of the two brothers? Richie’s personality, dominant, ambitions in the criminal world? Going to his office, his talking to Joey, explaining what he had cost him? Ordering his death – once again, Tom/Joey turning the tables, the deaths, confronting his brother, shooting him? Washing in the river?

17. His return home, the quiet at the dinner table, Sarah setting the place, Jack passing the meat loaf, Edie looking up, the close-up on Tom’s face – an appropriate ending?

18. Responses to the solution, the realistic response, moral and ethical responses, the nature of Tom’s decisions and his dilemmas?

19. The title, its reference to several characters in the film? The possibility of change, reforming, always having the skills, defending those one loved? Especially for the goal of the idealised mid west American dream?