When a chaotic and dramatic story comes to an end, we expect quieter and more reflective moments. We don’t feel the need for more dialogue. We don’t need more explanation.David Cronenberg’s A History of Violence (2005) ends with a denouement that follows this path perfectly. Instead of ending the violent story expectedly—with despair and redemption—it ends on a gloomy note, but with a flicker of reconciliation. There are no words spoken; only action and the diegetic sounds of cutlery. And yet, the silence is more deadening than all the gunshots that came before.The scene is basically a psychological standoff masquerading as dinner. It’s peaceful and quiet on the outside, but you can see the mayhem of confusion, uncertainty, questions, and doubts erupting inside the characters.And this is what the movie’s central message is about: once you realize who you are, normalcy will never be what it used to be.The SceneTom Stall (Viggo Mortensen), after having won the violent conflict by the skin of his teeth, returns home to a steely silence. He has changed, and with him, everything else. His idyllic small-town life is shattered. The dinner table, where the Stall family once laughed and shared stories, has become a broken relic of their happy past.When Tom enters, with a bloodied soul and looking like the ghost of his past happy self, a sudden feeling of discomfort blankets everyone. Tom’s wife, Edie (Maria Bello), doesn’t rush to hug him; his kids look on with confusion. No one says anything because...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Today