A History of Violence

[Yosemite Dan]

Re: A History of Violence

If you plan on watching a Cronenberg movie some of you are going to be disappointed if you're expecting Death Wish. He's got his own style and symbolism regarding sex and violence and you either get it or you don't. This movie is definately one of his best if you're a fan of his but did seem rushed at times. He likes to use gore for shock value which kind of cheapens some of his movies and probably hurt his Oscar chances but then he doesn't care anyways.

[Skyboxer]

Re: A History of Violence

I saw it (DVD) and pretty much enjoyed it. Thought it was an ok movie.

[neovsmatrix]

Re: A History of Violence

You fail to mention my take on the false, exaggerated violence. Was I off there as well? Please....enlighten me as you did on the other issues.

As much as I love RottenTomatoes, F them. It does qualify as an abysmal crapfest in my book. keyword being my.

Extreme Sexuality + Exaggerated Violence = F'ed up movie. In my book anyways.

Rottentomatoes.com is just a site that gathers reviews from all over the place and designates them either fresh or rotten dependent upon the content of the review. They have nothing to do with actually JUDGING the movie. The critics who write the reviews on the other hand...


In any case, I liked the movie. As for the exaggerated violence, I do think it was intentional. A movie doesn't have to be realistic to make a point. V for Vendetta is hardly realistic, yet, it makes a pretty good point, and it's a pretty good movie, IMHO.

Pretty much everything in History of Violence was an exaggeration, it's actually based on a graphic novel, just like V for Vendetta was.

The complaint about how Viggo's character suddenly can turn into a killing machine may be a good one if the movie actually strived for realism. But it doesn't. It's trying to make a point that you can't turn away from your nature no matter how much you try. Same with the son, he was cut from the same cloth as his father, violence is inbred in them. The bully on the other hand barks a lot but has no bite. He was a poseur, an impostor trying to sound tough.

The rough sex on the stairs, Maria Bello's character was turned on by the aggression showed by Viggo's character, and after that she's ashamed of it and I think she refuses to acknowledge her attraction to that side of him.

At least, that's what I took it all to mean, and I found the movie enjoyable enough.

[Defel]

Re: A History of Violence

................................

WTF?

Who are you responding to?

Sex = Was way over the top (Considering the movie) there are no comparisons given the Genre. Stay in Genre, gimme 5 in this Genre if you wish, I say zero.

I brought up Crash because there was a long thread talking about how good it was (which it was) while a couple people have dismissed this movie for being unrealistic.

I don't see why I have to stay in the genre. If I did have to stay in the genre, then it would prove my point that it wasn't over the top. It's great to show a 69 scene in a comedy, but, when it's shown in a serious light, it's over-the-top?

The closest genre to A History of Violence is drama so Me And You and Everyone We Know, Mysterious Skin, and Manderlay were all dramas that I watched that had more sexual content. None are foreign either so it's not like that's why.

If I were including other genres, I would say Wedding Crashers had more sexual content...I mean a woman ties a man up and rapes him while he sleeps...She gives him a HJ at the dinner table in front of everyone against his will. If you heard that this happened to someone or that they had rough, angry stairway sex and they 69ed with their wife, I think I would find the Wedding Crashers scenario more shocking.

What's so obscene about 69 anyway? It's not like he donkey punched her and gave her a cleveland steamer.

Expanding on what neovsmatrix said, the sex scene is just another way of contrasting Joey's two sides. Young and innocent (cheerleading outfit) in the beginning...Violent and cold at the end. It's not one of my favorite movies and I'm not going to pretend to know exactly what the movie was trying to say. For that reason, I don't care if people don't like the movie.

All I'm trying to say is that I just don't see how an implied 69 and rough sex scene = lots of over-the-top sexual content.

[JayBee74]

Re: A History of Violence

In any case, I liked the movie. As for the exaggerated violence, I do think it was intentional. A movie doesn't have to be realistic to make a point. V for Vendetta is hardly realistic, yet, it makes a pretty good point, and it's a pretty good movie, IMHO.

I think the violence got really exagerrated toward the end, but this movie was very entertaining, giving me my bloodthirsty violence fix after a G rated SOPRANOS.

By the way, I just finished watching the movie.

[JayBee74]

Re: A History of Violence

The complaint about how Viggo's character suddenly can turn into a killing machine may be a good one if the movie actually strived for realism.

He never stopped being a killing machine. It's in the genes-did you see his son in action?

[JayBee74]

Re: A History of Violence

On another note, as much as I like William Hurt, I didn't think his brief appearance in this movie merited an Oscar nomination. The role was written over the top and didn't require a lot of nuance.

[Skyboxer]

Re: A History of Violence

On another note, as much as I like William Hurt, I didn't think his brief appearance in this movie merited an Oscar nomination. The role was written over the top and didn't require a lot of nuance.

Agree.

[BigTigLSU]

Re: A History of Violence

The sex scenes werent over the top more like thrown in for the sake of having them in the movie. I am getting a little tired of directors feeling that if they dont include sex then its not adult enough.

Prime example Underworld 2... why was there a sex scene needed in that movie? I have nothing against sex or even sex in movies, but if there really has nothing to do with the plot then it looks like you put it so you can have to actors naked. You can make your point by impling sex without actually showing intercourse. I watch porn for that.

The movie wasn't difficult to understand the acting sucked or maybe the writing sucked cause it was filled with plot holes and things that make you go.... "Man thats kinda lame"




Like the whole scene returning home... I was like is supposed to be a comedy or drama. Its kinda like watching scream and the killer really sucks at killing.

[muzion]

Re: A History of Violence

It's over the top and it was done on purpose, c'mon people. Y'all want realism go watch a cinema-vérité type movie. That's his style, anybody that has seen Cronenberg's movie Crash with James Spader knows he's out there, even though I still don't know how to feel about Crash. Deviant sexuality is a recurring theme in his movies, America just isn't used to that from a big-budget movie.

[Boltman]

Re: A History of Violence

It's over the top and it was done on purpose, c'mon people. Y'all want realism go watch a cinema-vérité type movie. That's his style, anybody that has seen Cronenberg's movie Crash with James Spader knows he's out there, even though I still don't know how to feel about Crash. Deviant sexuality is a recurring theme in his movies, America just isn't used to that from a big-budget movie.

You are right about his movies, I looked them all up, and the violence in the ones that are supposed to be violent, are just that. Over the top.



Director - filmography
(In Production) (2000s) (1990s) (1980s) (1970s) (1960s)

David Cronenberg has 1 in-development credit available on IMDbPro.com. To view these credits click here.

1. London Fields (2006) (announced)
2. Maps to the Stars (2007) (pre-production)

3. A History of Violence (2005)
4. Spider (2002)
... aka Spider (Canada: French title)
5. Camera (2000/I)

6. eXistenZ (1999)
... aka eXistenZ (France)
7. Crash (1996/I)
8. M. Butterfly (1993)
9. Naked Lunch (1991)
... aka Festin nu, Le (Canada: French title)
10. "Scales of Justice" (1990) TV Series (episode "Regina vs Horvath") (episode "Regina vs Logan")

11. Dead Ringers (1988)
... aka Alter ego (Canada: French title)
12. "Friday the 13th"
... aka Friday the 13th: The Series
... aka Friday's Curse (UK: repeat compilations title)
- Faith Healer (1988) TV Episode
13. The Fly (1986)
14. The Dead Zone (1983)
15. Videodrome (1983)
... aka Zonekiller (Canada: English title)
16. Scanners (1981)
... aka Telepathy 2000

17. The Brood (1979)
... aka Clinique de la terreur, La (Canada: French title)
... aka David Cronenberg's The Brood (Canada: English title: complete title)
18. Fast Company (1979)
19. Rabid (1977)
... aka Rage (USA)
20. "Teleplay" (1976) TV Series (episode "The Italian Machine")
21. "Peep Show" (episode "The Lie Chair") (episode "The Victim")
- The Victim (????) TV Episode
22. Shivers (1975)
... aka Frissons (Canada: French title)
... aka The Parasite Murders
... aka They Came from Within (USA)
23. Scarborough Bluffs (1972) (TV)
24. Fort York (1972) (TV)
25. In the Dirt (1972) (TV)
26. Winter Garden (1972) (TV)
27. Don Valley (1972) (TV)
28. Lakeshore (1972) (TV)
29. Jim Ritchie Sculptor (1971) (TV)
30. Letter from Michelangelo (1971) (TV)
31. Tourettes (1971) (TV)
32. "Programme X" (1970) TV Series (episode "Secret Weapons")
33. Crimes of the Future (1970)

34. Stereo (1969)
35. From the Drain (1967)
36. Transfer (1966)

Everything on his resume, to me anyways, is crap. I tried my best to say maybe scanners, or Spider or crash maybe. Are ok at least but, nah, didnt even enjoy those.

[ODogg]

Re: A History of Violence

I really enjoyed Spider but then i'm weird so I love weird movies (The Jacket was another great wierd movie). I recommended that movie to my mom and she called me up and was like "WTF??" LOL. And although I loved A History of Violence when I saw it at the theaters I also agree with alot of criticism lobbed it's way in this thread such as Hurts performance was over the top and the sex scene was a bit gratutious. However, I think this movie is better than the sum of it's parts, the overall message and issues it brings up are thought provoking and IMO that is what good movies do, make you think...

[JayBee74]

Re: A History of Violence

.....and the sex scene was a bit gratutious.

I don't think so, particularly the stair scene. In a base sort of way they were equating the wife's sexual attraction to Tom (Joey) with his dark side.

[ODogg]

Re: A History of Violence

I don't think so, particularly the stair scene. In a base sort of way they were equating the wife's sexual attraction to Tom (Joey) with his dark side.

That's a good scene, i was more thinking about the earlier sex scene actually. I read that the director said that earlier scene was to establish the unique and strong bond that they had in order to establish the ability for her to even considering remaining with him during the events that would occur later. Which makes sense really but i just felt it was a bit ackwardly acted out.

[BigTigLSU]

Re: A History of Violence

I don't think so, particularly the stair scene. In a base sort of way they were equating the wife's sexual attraction to Tom (Joey) with his dark side.

Nothing wrong with that point of view I actually under stood her wanting Joey's side of his personality