When A History of Violence opened in theaters on September 20, 2005, audiences packed auditoriums expecting a straightforward crime drama rather than a comic book adaptation. Maria Bello, Ed Harris, and William Hurt also star in the film alongside Viggo Mortensen, who plays a small-town diner owner. When Mortensen’s character stops an attempted robbery and saves lives from spree killers, the resulting news coverage brings his past and former enemies back to haunt him.
Origins as a Graphic Novel
Directed by David Cronenberg, the movie is regarded as one of the best films of the 2000s and one of the finest works of its director’s career. Despite its critical acclaim, most viewers remain unaware that it is a DC Comics adaptation. The story originated as a 1997 graphic novel of the same name, written by John Wagner with art by Vince Locke. It was published initially by Paradox Press and subsequently by Vertigo Comics, both of which are imprints of DC Comics. Like the cinematic version, the original publication contains no superheroes, focusing instead on a crime story that explores themes of revenge and the challenge of facing one’s past.
Comparing the Film and the Page
While the first half of Cronenberg’s film remains very faithful to the source material, the second half deviates significantly. The adaptation alters several character relationships, changes actual characterizations, and presents a very different final confrontation for Tom. Because of these distinct divergences, reading the comic does not spoil the movie, and watching the film still leaves the graphic novel as an original story. Alongside other non-superhero adaptations like Road to Perdition and V for Vendetta, the movie stands out as a complex, deeply mature tale that appeals far beyond traditional comics fans through its brutal and unflinching execution.
Worth a look