Viggo Mortensen pauses a lot when speaking. It's not that he doesn't know what to say in answer to a question, it's that he wants to convey exactly what he means, so he takes the time to choose his words carefully.

Mortensen recently spoke to a group of journalists during a teleconference to promote the DVD release of Eastern Promises, the latest movie which, like A History of Violence, was directed by David Cronenberg.

Eastern Promises comes to DVD a little more than three months after its theatrical release. The movie did not ignite the box office, earning only $17 million. But it did earn respectable reviews, with Mortensen's portrayal of a Russian gangster praised by several critics.

The role also earned him a best actor Golden Globe nomination.

Mortensen praised his director as an artist who "tells a story on his own terms every time."

Unlike other directors, he said, Cronenberg, does not repeat nor reference himself or other movies.

Cronenberg "is a very original voice," so Mortensen said he was not worried about comparisons between his work in History and Eastern Promises.

The major difference between his two characters, he said, is that in Eastern Promises "my character is quite clear on who he is and what he is attempting to do, what he is sacrificing, what's at stake.

"He's not lying to himself ... whereas the other character is necessarily -- or he feels it's necessary in History of Violence" to delude himself on some level.

Mortensen does not really judge his characters. They are neither good nor bad. "I think all people are morally ambiguous," he said, "and that most people are somewhat unaware" of their own contradictions.

"I think most people are endlessly interesting no matter what you're playing as an actor."

Mortensen added that he doesn't necessarily seek out characters that are "morally ambiguous."

"But," he said, "I think that all people are contradictory in their behavior and in their presentation of their personality"

In Eastern Promises, Mortensen plays Nikolai, a Russian gangster.

He credits the collaborative atmosphere Cronenberg creates for allowing him to mold the physical aspects of his character.

As an example, he cites Nikolai's tattoos, which were only mentioned in passing in the original script.

Mortensen, however, found some books and a documentary film that delved into details about the meaning and history of Russian criminal tattoos. He pointed these out to Cronenberg and screenwriter Steven Knight who incorporated them into the script.

The scene that generated the most talk is the steam room fight in which a nude Mortensen battles for his life.

It was physically painful, he said, because obviously he was unable to wear any padding.

"It was really interesting to shoot," he said, because Cronenberg "is so clever about the construction of his sequences. ... I thought it was done the way it should have been done and it was done very efficiently."

Nor was it gratuitous, he said Thematically, it literally leaves his character totally exposed, "which makes for good drama."

The ending of Eastern Promises leaves audiences with some questions, a fact that pleased Mortensen. "That's one sign that it was a good story, well told."

"With Eastern Promises, I think each time you see it, you see more and you have more questions."

He compared the film's ending with that of A History of Violence. In both, he said, "you ask yourself, 'What's going to happen to these people?' "

Eastern Promises' open-ended finale does make for the possibility of a sequel, Mortensen said, an idea he and Cronenberg have kicked around.

"At the end of the story you feel that it will continue," he said.

The movie leaves a lot unanswered. "You have to think for yourself, and I think that's the highest form of respect you can pay an audience member."

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