Great action, very graphic, long sex scenes, nice guy or is he?

Brutal. Viggo Mortensen prooves that he belongs to Hollywood's best male actors.

Un choc et une leçon de cinéma, merci Monsieur Cronenberg ! Dans la même veine, "Les promesses de l'ombre" est un pur diamant noir aussi.

A terrific narrative, compelling performance, and top-notch direction makes this Cronenberg's masterpiece.

God, Viggo lights up the screen in this one. Arguably better than Cronenberg's followup Eastern Promises (also w/ Viggo), this is a really tight movie (only 1.5 hours) with brutal action and a few stunning scenes that really burn into the mind's eye.

Strange storyline and lots of graphic violence (as the title would infer). It seems like they had something going with this movie as it pulls you in at first, but it sort of fizzles out, and leaves you feeling like you missed something in the end. Do... (read more) Strange storyline and lots of graphic violence (as the title would infer). It seems like they had something going with this movie as it pulls you in at first, but it sort of fizzles out, and leaves you feeling like you missed something in the end. Don't watch it if you are sensitive to graphic violence, I wouldn't watch it again.

First off, I'm not sure why William Hurt got an Oscar nomination for his role, I would have thought Viggo Mortensen was more worthy of that playing a family man being tormented by his past that is determined to catch up with him. Even Ed Harris, pla... (read more) First off, I'm not sure why William Hurt got an Oscar nomination for his role, I would have thought Viggo Mortensen was more worthy of that playing a family man being tormented by his past that is determined to catch up with him. Even Ed Harris, playing the main part of that torment would be more valued for this award.

One thing I don't understand, why the excessive violence in this movie? Why did Cronenburg feel the need to add all that blood and gore to what could and possibly should have been a solid family orientated flick? Now, I would never recommend this to people younger than 18 just because of that level of violence!

Anyway, as far as story goes, its simple, and works in ways. I give it three stars because there are so many things that just weren't right.

Other films this year will have to sweat bullets to match the explosive power and subversive wit of David Cronenberg's A History of Violence.

Eventually does not hold up due to its own ambivalence towards its subject matter.

Cronenberg's movie is eerily compelling and darkly humorous. And chilling -- to the bone.

This is not a movie about plot, but about character. It is about how people turn out the way they do, and about whether the world sometimes functions like a fool's paradise.