A History of Violence

  Imagine this, you are an ordinary person, you have a little store, harmony family and tranquil life. You never make problem with people around you, and people know you well. But one morning someone calling you, a hoarse voice of man, he says “we will kill you, we heard that you’re really difficult to kill, we want to test you”, “who are you?” you answer, “you better run away, that’s the only way you escape”.
Well, because you are a good person who don’t have enemy in this world, you ignore it. You just think that was a wrong call. Even after a few minutes, someone get shoot on the head right in front of your eyes by a car passing in front of your store, single shoot on target. Then in the night, you get the same call like in the morning from a hoarse voice man , he says “that was just a warning, to show you we’re serious”, “who is this, I don’t know you” You managed to answer with stammering, “the next is you! You can be dying, you have two choice. You can stay, or you can run, but it will be more fun to kill if you run”.
How if you don’t run? How if you go to police station and some detective, but they have the same voice as the hoarse voice man on the phone call? How if they burn your store? How if they kidnap your family? How if they come after you?
People can be stuck in the splendid situation like that, not a superhero, not a police but ordinary people like you and me, good people. That’s what I imagine and I feel after finish to read the graphic novel of a history of violence. That’s one of the reasons why this topic is unique. A History of Violence is a graphic novel written by John Wagner and illustrated by Vince Locke, originally published in 1997 by Paradox Press and later by Vertigo, both imprints of DC Comics. It is also the source for the film of the same name directed by David Cronenberg, the first cinematic adaption of a work by John Wagner since 1995's Judge Dredd. The film was the last major Hollywood film to be released on the VHS format.
    An adaptation movie from the novel is usually different, is that in the character or plot of the story, and it still fixed and accordance to the story in the novel that the movie adapted from. But how if the movie is restrictedly different with its novel, omitting some part of the story that should not be omitted, relieve some part that should be the raising plot or climax which makes very strange different sense and feel when we read about the novel and watch the movie.
The plot in the movie is about Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) is a local restaurant owner in the small town of Millbrook, Indiana. One night two men attempt to kill one of the employees and rob the restaurant. Tom deftly kills both robbers, and his actions make him an overnight celebrity. He is soon visited by scarred gangster Carl Fogarty (Ed Harris) who alleges that Tom is actually a gangster named Joey Cusack, who used to run with him in the local Irish Mob in Philadelphia. Tom denies these accusations and claims he has never been to Philadelphia, but Fogarty continues to stalk the Stall family. Under pressure from Fogarty and his newfound fame, Tom's relationships with his wife Edie (Maria Bello), teenage son Jack (Ashton Holmes), and young daughter Sarah (Heidi Hayes) become strained.
After an argument with Tom over the use of violence, Jack runs off and is caught by Fogarty. With Jack as his hostage, Fogarty and his men go to the Stall house and demand that "Joey" return with them to Philadelphia.
 Tom kills Fogarty's men with the same precision he used against the robbers, while Jack kills Fogarty with a shotgun in defense of his father. At the hospital, Tom shocks Edie by admitting that he is actually Joey Cusack, and that he ran away from Philadelphia to escape his criminal past and start a new life. This furthers the tensions in their marriage.
Tom receives a call from his brother Richie Cusack (William Hurt), who also demands his return to Philadelphia. After traveling to Philadelphia and confronting his brother, Tom learns that the other mobsters whom he had offended in Philadelphia took out their frustrations on Richie, preventing him from moving up in the criminal organization. Tom offers to make peace, but Richie orders his men to kill him. Tom defends himself and kills Richie and the guards.
Tom returns home, but the atmosphere is tense and silent as the Stalls sit around the dinner table. The fate of his marriage and the future of his life as Tom Stall is uncertain, but Jack and Sarah indicate their acceptance of their father by setting a plate for him and passing him some food.
A history of violence adaptation is movie adaptations which makes and change so many things from its novel, Its movie got so many mockery and critics of the society and critic, but it still get so many awards, 22 nominations and awards such as oscar award, saturn award, Austin film critics award, Critics Choice award and many else. And other reason is because its graphic novel is in contrast with the aestethic rules of comic worthiness, in blocking, shadowing, panel arrangement and drawing sense. But what can i say still a history of violence is a graph of mature, even it’s not obeying some rules in comic orders.