Despite the fact that we saw Viggo Mortensen swinging a massive sheath of metal in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, it's still a bit disconcerting to think of the thoughtful, soft-spoken actor as someone who could do any harm to anyone. If there were any doubts he could pull off such a role before, there will be none after audiences see him in "A History of Violence."

Guess that's why they call it acting.

"History," which is based on a graphic novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke, is a study in brutality and its ramifications.

In it Mortensen portrays small-town diner owner and devoted family man Tom Stall. Stall has his life ripped apart when two thugs show up at his business and attempt to rob him and rape one of his female employees. He acts with laser-like precision thwarting the attempt, killing one man and seriously injuring the other. He's immediately called a hero and the attention the incident generates brings visitors to his town — ones who believe that Stall is a former hitman for the New Jersey mob.

It's not exactly like fighting in Middle Earth, but what is? Mortensen found the project interesting initially and grew more intrigued when he learned David Cronenberg ("Crash," "eXistenZ") would direct.

"I thought it was pretty interesting and potentially could be a thought-provoking movie, but it just depends on whose hands the script is in," the actor said. "A lot of directors would have made it skillfully, I think, but they would have made more of an exploitation movie. It would have been superficially satisfying to a certain crowd in terms of the violence. He (Cronenberg) obviously mined it for a lot of other layers."

Indeed, there is a lot more beneath the surface than a case of mistaken identity and brutality. Much like the Clint Eastwood classic "Unforgiven," it uses violence to espouse the belief that it is absolutely horrific. But Cronenberg acknowledges in the movie that it's human nature, Mortensen said.

"Violence is always going to be there, but what's also always going to be there is our ability to reason and the fact that humans do have a conscience. Well, most of us do," he said. "I think it's an anti-violence movie and one can make a choice no matter how one has been raised or how used to reacting with violence in stressful situations or threatening situations one is. One can always say no and walk away, even if it is difficult."

Mortensen's thoughtful demeanor is a trait anyone would normally associate with an artist. It's a testament to his talent that he's able to bring a character such as Stall to life with such conviction. In addition to acting, he is a published poet and successful artist.

However, the serenity of his other artistic endeavors doesn't make him immune to reality.

He confesses that human nature runs its course with him at any given time and those memories served him well while working on "A History of Violence."

"I don't think I'm any different from other people in that I definitely have moments within my family and a lot of moments I regret where I've lost my temper or acted or spoken before I thought something through," he said.

In short, we should forget the heroics of Aragorn in "The Lord of the Rings" and realize that Mortensen is human. It's reflected in his role as Stall and others throughout his career, but he can thank "LOTR" for giving him flexibility he'd never really had before, allowing him to consider roles carefully.

"I've always tried to be thoughtful as much as I could. You learn and your tastes change, but like most actors who have had a career that is relatively long — even after ‘Lord of the Rings' — there are more options which you can say no to," he said. "But saying yes always depends on someone wanting you. I acknowledge that if I hadn't got to be in ‘Lord of the Rings,' I wouldn't have got this part. I don't think business-wise the studio would have found it wise to entrust this role to a relative unknown."