A History of Violence is an examination of the grip and depth of human violence. The portrayal of violence is not artistic like Natural Born Killers, nor deglorified overchoreographed thrill like scenes from Mr. instead, it is raw, realistic, graphic and necessary. If sex, nudity and violence are either temptations or offenses to you, don't see this movie. Performances and screenplay A+, the technical part not as good, especially the nudity and sex scenes, which were few, necessary in concept, but mechanical in portrayal. (I felt as if someone was saying, "freeze, need to capture this pubic hair," or "shift, need another butt shot.") This movie has no tidy wrap-up ending, is not an upper nor a downer, just reality. It biblically portrays both the miserable condition/need of man and man's sublime possibilities, and exposes the futility of man's contrivances for escaping/avoiding evil (pain, chaos, unhappiness) while subtly pointing to the only true Way of deliverance.