History YMMV / AHistoryOfViolence

* ReferencedBy: In ''VideoGame/MaxPayne3'', Officer [=DaSilva=] notes to Max Payne himself that he was selected by the Broncos partly because he is a man with ''A History of Violence''. ''Max Payne 3'' chronologically tells the story of how Max tried to get away from his violent life, only to get drawn back in after he shoots dead, the son of a New Jersey Mafia Don, for his aggression against a woman who stands up to him. Like the diner scene in the film, it starts with a confrontation in a pub diner that turns lethal and brings Max Payne major trouble with the New Jersey Mafia.

* ReferencedBy: In ''VideoGame/MaxPayne3'', Officer [=DaSilva=] notes to Max Payne himself that he was selected by the Broncos partly because he is a man with ''A History of Violence''. ''Max Payne 3'' chronologically tells the story of how Max tried to get away from his violent life, only to get drawn back in after he shoots dead, the son of a New Jersey Mafia Don, for his aggression against a woman who stands up to him. Like the diner scene in the film, it starts with a confrontation in a pub diner that turns violent and brings Max Payne major trouble with the New Jersey Mafia.

* CatharsisFactor: As inadvisable as it is in real life, and causing tension with his father as well as potential criminal charges, Jack beating the shit out of the asshole bully Bobby was extremely satisfying to watch.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: The bullies that Jack beats up in a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown provide a rather odd example of this. While they're shown to be in the wrong to harass Jack, the movie shows that Jack beating the crap out of them was also the wrong move when SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome occurs and he gets suspended from school for fighting. It's part of the movie's CentralTheme on the ugliness of violence and how even justifiable violence can have dire consequences. Trouble is that Bobby and the rest of Jack's tormentors were shown to be terrible people. Bobby in particular was subject to attempts to get to back him down from his fellow {{Jerk Jock}}s, because [[EvenEvilHasStandards even they thought Bobby's treatment of Jack was going too far]]. So when Jack beats up Bobby, it's less that Jack is giving into his violent temptations against all sound advice, and more like [[CorneredRattlesnake has no choice but to fight]] against [[AxCrazy an overconfident brute who understands no language but violence]], thus giving the scene an unintended CatharsisFactor and a ViolenceReallyIsTheAnswer message.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: The bullies that Jack beats up in a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown provide a rather odd example of this. While they're shown to be in the wrong to harass Jack, the movie shows that Jack beating the crap out of them was also the wrong move when SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome occurs and he gets suspended from school for fighting. It's part of the movie's CentralTheme on the ugliness of violence and how even justifiable violence can have dire consequences. Trouble is that Bobby and the rest of Jack's tormentors were shown to be terrible people. Bobby in particular was subject to attempts to get to back him down from his fellow {{Jerk Jock}}s, because [[EvenEvilHasStandards even they thought Bobby's treatment of Jack was going too far]]. So when Jack beats up Bobby, it's less that Jack is giving into his violent temptations against all sound advice, and more like [[CorneredRattlesnake has no choice but to fight]] against [[AxCrazy an overconfident brute who understands no language but violence]], thus giving the scene an unintended CatharsisFactor.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: The bullies that Jack beats up in a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown provide a rather odd example of this. While they're shown to be in the wrong to harass Jack, the movie shows that Jack beating the crap out of them was also the wrong move when SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome occurs and he gets suspended from school for fighting. It's part of the movie's CentralTheme on the ugliness of violence and how even justifiable violence can have dire consequences. Trouble is that Bobby and the rest of Jack's tormentors were shown to be terrible people. Bobby in particular was subject to attempts to get to back him down from his fellow {{Jerk Jock}}s, because [[EvenEvilHasStandards even they thought Bobby's treatment of Jack was going too far]]. So when Jack beats up Bobby, it's less that Jack is giving into his violent temptations against all sound advice, and more like [[CorneredRattlesnake has no choice but to fight]] against [[AxCrazy a brute who understands no language but violence]], thus giving the scene an unintended CatharsisFactor.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: The bullies that Jack beats up in a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown provide a rather odd example of this. While they're shown to be in the wrong to harass Jack, the movie shows that Jack beating the crap out of them was also the wrong move when SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome occurs and he gets suspended from school for fighting. It's part of the movie's CentralTheme on the ugliness of violence and how even justifiable violence can have dire consequences. Trouble is that Bobby and the rest of Jack's tormentors were shown to be terrible people. Bobby in particular was subject to attempts to him down from his fellow {{Jerk Jock}}s, because [[EvenEvilHasStandards even they thought Bobby's treatment of Jack was going too far]]. So when Jack beats up Bobby, it's less that Jack is giving into his violent temptations against all sound advice, and more like [[CorneredRattlesnake has no choice but to fight]] against [[AxCrazy a brute who understands no language but violence]], thus giving the scene an unintended CatharsisFactor.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: The bullies that Jack beats up in a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown provide a rather odd example of this. While they're shown to be in the wrong to harass Jack, the movie shows that Jack beating the crap out of them was also the wrong move when SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome occurs and he gets suspended from school for fighting. It's part of the movie's CentralTheme on the ugliness of violence and how even justifiable violence can have dire consequences. Trouble is that Bobby and the rest of Jack's tormentors were shown to be terrible people. Bobby in particular was subject to attempts to him down from his fellow {{Jerk Jock}}s, because [[EvenEvilHasStandards even they thought Bobby's treatment of Jack was going too far]]. So when Jack beats up Bobby, it's less that Jack is giving into his violent temptations against all sound advice, and more like [[CorneredRattlesnake has no choice but to fight]] against [[BloodKnight a brute who understands no language but violence]], thus giving the scene an unintended CatharsisFactor.

** It's not exactly clear whether Tom Stall is [[spoiler: just a very good liar, if he's simply BecomingTheMask so well that he's suppressed the memory of his past life, [[SplitPersonality or if he and Joey Cusack are two separate personalities,]] as Edie speculates at one point. Considering how crazy Joey and his brother Richie behave, the latter option is not out of the realm of possibility.]]
** Why did [[spoiler: Joey become violent in the first place, and why did he escape his violent past? Did his terrible upbringing with his mentally unstable older brother mean that he had to resort to violence at a very young age for the sake of survival? And did he escape when the first opportunity arose? Or did he genuinely enjoy violence and only "learned his way out of it"?]]

** Comic: "Little" Lou Manzi from the original comic is a ravenously psychotic [[TheDon mob boss]] and TortureTechnician who makes ColdBloodedTorture his hobby. Since becoming the head of the boss twenty years before the story, Manzi keeps a man as a toy, torturing him in every conceivable way he can think of day in and day out till the man is nothing more than an armless, legless chunk of meat--[[AndIMustScream barely alive and conscious]]. In present, he tries to get the man's partner back to be his victim as well by threatening his family and his young children.

%%* EvilIsCool: Carl Fogarty, to some. Also, [[spoiler: Joey Cusack.]]
* JerkassWoobie: Tom Stall [[spoiler: aka Joey Cusack. Sure he turns out to be an insanely violent killer, but he did try very hard to snuff out that part of himself and it's still terrible to watch the peaceful life he built for his new family disintegrate when his past finally catches up to him. In the end, he's forced to kill his own brother to put a stop to the madness. Even then, it's left unclear whether the Stalls will ever be able to move past all of this.]]

* MagnificentBastard: Tom Stall, a mild-mannered family man, was previously "Crazy Fuckin’ Joey" Cusack, a psychotic member of the Irish mob known for his brutality. Creating the personality of Tom to hide from the mob, Tom [[BecomingTheMask grows to care]] for his wife and kids, while willing to take down several killers who threaten his friends and family. Reuniting with his brother Richie to shut his organization down, Tom is able to escape Richie’s trap and wipe him and his whole gang out using stealth and deception, ending the story being tearily welcomed back into the family lifestyle that he’s grown attached to.

* SignatureScene: The robbery scene where the two serial killing thieves attempt to rob Tom's diner and kill everyone there, only for the seemingly mild-mannered Tom to turn tables at the robbers and kill them efficiently.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: The bullies that Jack beats up in a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown provide a rather odd example of this. While they're shown to be in the wrong to harass Jack, the movie shows that Jack beating the crap out of them was also the wrong move when SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome occurs and he gets suspended from school for fighting. It's part of the movie's CentralTheme on the ugliness of violence and how even justifiable violence can have dire consequences. Trouble is that Bobby and the rest of Jack's tormentors were shown to be terrible people. Bobby in particular tried to be talked down by his fellow {{Jerk Jock}}s, because [[EvenEvilHasStandards even they thought Bobby's treatment of Jack was going too far]]. So when Jack beats up Bobby, it's less that Jack is giving into his violent temptations against all sound advice, and more like [[CorneredRattleSnake has no choice but to fight]], thus giving the scene an unintended CatharsisFactor.

* AdaptationDisplacement: The graphic novel is not particularly well-known, but the movie is quite famous. This is because of AdaptationDistillation.

* DiagnosedByTheAudience: Richie Cusack doesn't seem completely sane, and not just in sociopathic way. He can have an odd speech pattern, had TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior as a child, and seems almost divorced from normal human emotions. Noticeably, [[spoiler: he has little reaction to ordering the death of his own brother just for some more respect, reacts with annoyance more than fear/horror at seeing his men being decimated by Joey in the same room, kills his own man for failing him while Joey is still in the building, and isn't particularly upset when Joey is about to execute him.]]
* EvilIsCool: Carl Fogarty, to some. Also, [[spoiler: Joey Cusack.]]

** Film: Leland Jones and Billy Orser are a pair of thieving {{serial killer}}s who are [[EstablishingCharacterMoment introduced]] casually murdering the staff of the motel they're departing at the start of the movie, with Billy [[WouldHurtAChild gunning down a scared little girl]] without a hint of emotion. Later, when they try to rob Tom Stall's diner, Leland orders Billy to [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil rape a waitress]] to "show this asshole we mean business"; Billy is all too happy to oblige. It's heavily implied they are on a cross-country murder spree, and would have continued indiscriminately robbing and killing everyone they encountered had Tom not stopped them.

* BestKnownForTheFanservice: A lot of people remember the film for its 69-ING scene between Tom and Edie.

* CatharsisFactor: As inadvisable as it is in real life, and causing tension with his father, Jack beating the shit out of the asshole bully Bobby was extremely satisfying to watch.

* It's not exactly clear whether Tom Stall is [[spoiler: just a very good liar, if he's simply BecomingTheMask so well that he's suppressed the memory of his past life, [[SplitPersonality or if he and Joey Cusack are two separate personalities,]] as Edie speculates at one point. Considering how crazy Joey and his brother Richie behave, the latter option is not out of the realm of possibility.]]
* Why did [[spoiler: Joey become violent in the first place, and why did he escape his violent past? Did his terrible upbringing with his mentally unstable older brother mean that he had to resort to violence at a very young age for the sake of survival? And did he escape when the first opportunity arose? Or did he genuinely enjoy violence and only "learned his way out of it"?]]

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: The bullies that Jack beats up in a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown provide a rather odd example of this. While they're shown to be in the wrong to harass Jack, the movie shows that Jack beating the crap out of them was also the wrong move when RealityEnsues and he gets suspended from school for fighting. It's part of the movie's CentralTheme on the ugliness of violence and how even justifiable violence can have dire consequences. Trouble is that Bobby and the rest of Jack's tormentors were shown to be terrible people. Bobby in particular tried to be talked down by his fellow {{Jerk Jock}}s, because [[EvenEvilHasStandards even they thought Bobby's treatment of Jack was going too far]]. So when Jack beats up Bobby, it's less that Jack is giving into his violent temptations against all sound advice, and more like [[CorneredRattleSnake has no choice but to fight]], thus giving the scene an unintended CatharsisFactor.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: It's not exactly clear whether Tom Stall is [[spoiler: just a very good liar, if he's simply BecomingTheMask so well that he's suppressed the memory of his past life, [[SplitPersonality or if he and Joey Cusack are two separate personalities,]] as Edie speculates at one point. Considering how crazy Joey and his brother Richie behave, the latter option is not out of the realm of possibility.]]
** Additionally, why did [[spoiler: Joey become violent in the first place and why did he escape his violent past? Did his terrible upbringing with his mentally unstable older brother mean that he had to resort to violence at a very young age for the sake of survival? And did he escape when the first opportunity arose? Or did he genuinely enjoy violence and only "learned his way out of it"?]]
* BestKnownForTheFanservice: A lot people remember the film for its 69-ING scene between Tom and Edie.

* OneSceneWonder: William Hurt as Richie. He shows up in the third act of the film for about ten or fifteen minutes, but damn if he doesn't make an impression. Hurt was even nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar.

** Additionally, why did [[spoiler: Joey become violent in the first place and why did he escape his violent past? did his terrible upbringing with his mentally unstable older brother mean that he had to resort to violence at a very young age for the sake survival? And did he escape when the first opportunity arose? Or did he genuinely enjoy violence and only "learned his way out of it"?]]

* OneSceneWonder: William Hurt as Richie. He shows up in the third act of the film for about ten or fifteen minutes, but damn if he doesn't make an impression. Hurt was even nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Award at the oscars.

* BestKnownForTheFanservice: Most people remember the film for its 69-ING scene between Tom and Edie.

* MisaimedFandom: The film was meant to be a meditation on the ugliness of violence and how it negatively effects the people involved, even when it's justified. However, a good number of viewers genuinely enjoyed the violent scenes, which were supposed to be the most off-putting parts of the story. This is possibly because the victims of the violence in this movie tend to be [[AssholeVictim really rotten people]]. For example, WebVideo/ToddInTheShadows put the GroinAttack from this film in his list of his favorite movie nut shots, saying it was the most satisfying ballbuster he'd ever seen in a film.

* {{Squick}}: Tom [[spoiler: (Joey)]] has a startling penchant for inflicting FacialHorror on his enemies. What's left of Leland's face after Tom puts a bullet in his head is not pretty. Or Carl Fogarty's henchman after the guy's nose is smashed in. Hell, Fogarty himself is an example before the film even begins due to the gnarly EyeScream he received.