Cronenberg's 'A History of Violence' Gets Good Reviews

Go to Toledoblade.com to read the interview.

A History of Violence has a movie star (Viggo Mortensen), the largest big budget he's ever known ($30 million or so), and a story that doesn't ooze, spurt, or slather on the blood or any bodily fluids. It tells of a small town guy, Tom Stall (Mortensen), who kills two men to save the people in his diner. And then it goes beyond that act to look at what it means to his family, and how a few seconds of violence reverberates in ever more violent ways. If it appears to be Cronenberg's most conventional picture to date, look again: He has always been on the short list of major directors who use violence not for effect but formeaning. We spoke last month during the Toronto International Film Festival. The following is an edited version of that long chat.