A History of Violence is a film about Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen)l a loving husband and father to a family with two children in a small town in Indiana. Corn fields surround his rural area home and he drives a pick-up truck. Tom also owns a small diner in town and has been in this town and married,living a quiet idyllic existence for about twenty years.
The movie slowly builds and develops complexity when Tom stops a vicious robbery in his diner. He protects his innocent employees and customers in amazing defensive and offensive reflexes beyond what normal men can do. Tom reminded me of a Clark Kent that can turn into his alter-ego Superman when needed. (His son also shows Tom's quick reflexes and thinking when he is unfairly attacked by high school bullies. By standing up to the bully and his friends he gains respect and the right to be left alone.)
Unfortunately for Tom, he is featured as a hero on several news stations as well as the newspaper. His life and face are in the spotlight, which immediately signals a threatening mobster from out of town (Ed Harris). He arrives into town with two thugs with a story that Tom attacked him and ruined his face and eye with barbed wire. Tom's past is unpeeled layer by layer as he struggles to protect his family from his violent past.
After the two confrontations and killing out of town mobsters, Tom is ruinited with his "good guy" brother, Ritchie (William Hurt). Ritchie is mixed up with the mob and wants vengence with Tom for leaving him "holding the bag" from the past. The acting does not skip a beat - the casting is excellent and the movie is mesmerizing. This is a top-notch psychological thriller, putting light on beliefs, relationships and the audacity of using violence to protect and save relationships.Get more detail about A History of Violence.
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