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September 25, 2005
A History of Violence
A History of Violence (2005), David Cronenberg:
There's been a little bit of buzz about this, but mostly I've just been really excited about it on my own, I'm not sure exactly why. I guess like Watchmen and Astro City (to name a few), it grafts a genre piece over the real world and lets its characters figure their way through it, and that always appealed to me. Deep down they're still comic book figures, but in a way that there're not aware of it, if that makes any sense. (I was actually surprised when I read this was adapted from a graphic novel, having never heard of it in that form.)
I guess the difference is that it's maintains the same genre setpieces, but approaches them from a different angle. Cronenberg indulges us with thrilling action scenes, but never lets us really enjoy them. The movie keeps you on an emotional unease throughout, and it's this emotional complexity that adds that extra dimension.
The film also fits perfectly well into the Cronenberg oeuvre. Emily pointed it out to me that the character's bodies reflect the accumulation of experiences and their development. It's not Videodrome, but it's there.
14/15
Posted by bing at September 25, 2005 11:29 PM