Violence and Viggo
Topic: Movies
Hans and I saw History of Violence yesterday with the after-church crowd. There was one other couple who might have been close to our ages, and about four couples who were definitely older. They all tittered and talked through the entire thing! The men were made particularly uncomfortable by the graphic sex scenes--I think this may have been the first time I've seen 69 used in a movie in a movie theater--but none of them seemed upset by the graphic violence. In fact, several men and women cheered and clapped when one character was shot. It wasn't a cheering and clapping kind of movie, by the way. Nor was it particularly shocking. It was simply an honest depiction of what "happened" in this particular story and it didn't look away when the bedroom door was closed, nor did it romanticize the blood and guts. In my estimate, a fine film that will stay with me quite awhile. It kind of reminds me, in retrospect, of the movie In the Bedroom.

We had taped an episode of Charlie Rose interviewing Viggo Mortensen about his role in the movie and watched it last night. Viggo is so soft spoken it's kind of a shock, especially when he starts speaking out against the war in Iraq and the present administration's policies. Charlie mentioned a website that supports a small press that Viggo started called Perceval Press. The site is about much more than books. Check it out!