Pick a Genre, Any Genre
While it's in many ways an effective film, the "reveal" in A History of Violence is problematic. Is Viggo a former assassin, or is this a case of mistaken identity?
Half a movie passes while we're waiting for the answer to that question. And while we wait, and excellent dramatic scenes play out in front of our eyes... we're waiting for our answer. We're thinking instead of feeling. Is he, or isn't he?
The answer to this question determines the film's genre. If he's a former assassin and his old gang's here to track him down, then the movie's a thriller. If it's a case of mistaken identity, the movie's a drama. We wait through half a movie to find out what the answer to the question is, and therefore, how we're supposed to enjoy this movie. If the reveal had been earlier, we'd have been allowed to settle in and enjoy the film.
Trust the dramatic potential of your situation... secrets are for wusses.
While it's in many ways an effective film, the "reveal" in A History of Violence is problematic. Is Viggo a former assassin, or is this a case of mistaken identity?
Half a movie passes while we're waiting for the answer to that question. And while we wait, and excellent dramatic scenes play out in front of our eyes... we're waiting for our answer. We're thinking instead of feeling. Is he, or isn't he?
The answer to this question determines the film's genre. If he's a former assassin and his old gang's here to track him down, then the movie's a thriller. If it's a case of mistaken identity, the movie's a drama. We wait through half a movie to find out what the answer to the question is, and therefore, how we're supposed to enjoy this movie. If the reveal had been earlier, we'd have been allowed to settle in and enjoy the film.
Trust the dramatic potential of your situation... secrets are for wusses.
posted by Jennica at 9:05 a.m.
2 Comments:
S'funny, because I never thought that there really was a secret. A secret from his family, yes, but a secret from the audience, no. I kinda figured that it was obvious this was no mistaken identity (maybe that's because I myself had a little 'history' before watching...) But to me, the real crux, or reveal, or question that needed to be answered was: what is he gonna do now that his past has caught up with him? Is he gonna revert? Or is he gonna sacrifice himself for the sake of his family? And of course the answer to that is the climax. Leaving the audience with the message: violence is indeed necessary in order to keep the peace.
Question: okay, okay, I know *I* was the one that attended the McKee genre weekend blitz, but unfortunately I've blocked it from my memory (I do remember though, that he hates vegetarians and once almost jumped from a building after a bottle of vodka... or maybe it was whisky... but -- how is the genre determined by the answer to the question of his past? I mean, couldn't one argue, that even if Viggo's past was innocent, it could still be a thriller? Just curious.
btw -- love the new look!
I totally agree that it doesn't feel like it's genuinely in question... except the film takes some pains not to allow the audience to be sure of the truth. We don't get close enough to Viggo to *know* anything, do we?
If the question had been answered earlier, just for us, then I would have felt positioned to understand (and feel) what's at stake sooner. Is it his identity (will he let the violence back in) and the love of his family? Or is it simply his family's *lives*? I find the former so much more interesting that I don't know why it wasn't the focus of the whole story, instead of the film being a bit tricksy for the first half.
You are so right with your "why couldn't it be a thriller?" question. It could. Easily. It could have been a kind of Single White Female or Hand That Rocks the Cradle. (Starring Viggo, so all the better!)
Except, I don't think the first half of the movie as produced sets us up for an "innocent man thriller" version of this story. It would have to have been the "how does a family implode" innocent man drama. Wouldn't it? Just based on the tensions at play-- the doubt, the suspicion, the rage, etc.
I see how unclear I was in the post. Even now I'm having trouble wrapping my head around the many ways we can think about this... already, I can see this post isn't a hall-of-famer. :)
T, I'm glad you're here! I didn't know you were lurking all this time!
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