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Regular
Price $12.98
Best
Price $2.25
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Starring:
Edward Norton,
Edward Furlong,
Beverly D'Angelo,
Avery Brooks,
Jennifer Lien,
Directed By:
Tony Kaye,
Rated: R (Restricted)
Release Date: 1998-10-30
Studio: New Line Home Video
Format:
AC-3,
Anamorphic,
Black & White,
Closed-captioned,
Color,
DVD-Video,
Widescreen,
NTSC,
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Editorial Reviews and
DVD Information
Description
Edward Norton's Academy Award nominated role as a White Supremist who sees the error of his ways while jailed for murder. Unfortunately, he leaves prison to find his brother (Edward Furlong) heading down the same path. DVD Features:
Biographies
Deleted Scenes
Filmographies
Interactive Menus
Production Notes
Scene Access
Theatrical Trailer
Amazon.com
Perhaps the highest compliment you can pay to Edward Norton is that his Oscar-nominated performance in American History X nearly convinces you that there is a shred of logic in the tenets of white supremacy. If that statement doesn't horrify you, it should; Norton is so fully immersed in his role as a neo-Nazi skinhead that his character's eloquent defense of racism is disturbingly persuasive--at least on the surface. Looking lean and mean with a swastika tattoo and a mind full of hate, Derek Vinyard (Norton) has inherited racism from his father, and that learning has been intensified through his service to Cameron (Stacy Keach), a grown-up thug playing tyrant and teacher to a growing band of disenfranchised teens from Venice Beach, California, all hungry for an ideology that fuels their brooding alienation. The film's basic message--that hate is learned and can be unlearned--is expressed through Derek's kid brother, Danny (Edward Furlong), whose sibling hero-worship increases after Derek is imprisoned (or, in Danny's mind, martyred) for the killing of two black men. Lacking Derek's gift of rebel rhetoric, Danny is easily swayed into the violent, hateful lifestyle that Derek disowns during his thoughtful time in prison. Once released, Derek struggles to save his brother from a violent fate, and American History X partially suffers from a mix of intense emotions, awkward sentiment, and predictably inevitable plotting. And yet British director Tony Kaye (who would later protest against Norton's creative intervention during post-production) manages to juggle these qualities--and a compelling clash of visual styles--to considerable effect. No matter how strained their collaboration may have been, both Kaye and Norton can be proud to have created a film that addresses the issue of racism with dramatically forceful impact. --Jeff Shannon
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Customer Reviews
3.5 stars out of 4
The Bottom Line:
American History X is a terrific film; though the director may have tried to distance himself from the final product, the movie is well-directed, well-acted, and well-constructed.
Ridiculously Good
This is an amazing movie where Edward Norton gives a spectacular performance. Edward Norton starts out as an unrepentant white supremacist but after his jail experience, he comes out trying to save his younger brother from that life. It is an amazing movie about how racism and hatred doesn't get you anywhere and leaves last ripples. It is somewhat graphic so it is not for the younger crowd. It's amazing from start to finish and the ending leave you stunned (and I cried). It is a must own for anyone who enjoys drama films, Edward Norton, and movies with a lesson behind them.
Racism Gets Curb-Stomped
American History X is what 'Crash' failed to be, that is, a nuanced and believable exploration of the roots and manifestations of racism. The film does not lecture but nor does it pardon - it approaches its delicate subject matter with conviction, maturity and stark imagery.
Set among the resurgence of Neo-Nazism among California's disenchanted urban youth in the 80's and early 90's, X is the story of one family, headed by eldest son Norton, and how the seed of racism takes root in his heart and begins to grow.
Leading man Norton delivers an explosive and utterly convincing performance as a young man who's world view becomes twisted by racist convictions. Soon his festering and misdirected rage lands him in prison, where hard lessons await. Outside of the prison walls Norton's younger brother begins the cycle anew as he seeks to follow in the footsteps of the brother he has come to idolize.
A fascinating and deeply layered tale of prejudice and the painful lessons of lives misspent in its shadow, American History X is explicitly violent but superbly performed and executed. The ending, as shocking as any I've seen in cinema, is as uncompromising as the rest of the film and will provide little comfort to happy-ending seekers. DVD includes deleted scenes, cast bios and theatrical trailer. Widescreen format is included. Highly recommended.
More than just skin deep
Most people have a list of movies that were recommended to them, and are immensely popular, but...they just never get around to watching any. For a time, I had quite a few myself: The Godfather, Pulp Fiction, Platoon, The Usual Suspects and American History X.
One day, I decided to look at the last movie on my list. While it was generally regarded as a positive, uplifting movie, I was a bit skeptical about anything to do with racism: most films dealing with this subject tend to show us the perceptions of only one side.
Still, I figured that I didn't have much to lose, so I bought a copy of American History X.
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Now having seen this movie, I can understand why it's so highly touted: it's about something larger than just ethnic hatred and yet manages to highlight it's many flaws as well.
We're first drawn into the world of the Vinyards - a white, middle class family living in a suburb that is slowly becoming more and more multicultural. The men (brothers Derek and Danny) are vehemently opposed to any foreigners or people of color, while the women (mother Doris and daughter Davina) have no problems with non-whites at all.
An incident early on sends Derek to jail, and once inside, he learns some harsh life lessons. Fast forward a bit - Derek is let out at his parole due to good behavior. He returns home and sees things mostly the way they were, with the exception of his brother...
The rest of the movie shows Derek work to resolve the issues he had, while also trying to protect his family from the people he once knew and called friends.
This movie isn't perfect (there are some awkwardly placed comedic moments), but it does come very close. If allowed, i'd rate it 4.5 stars: as is, i've given it 5.
Strong performances from Edward Norton (who became a frightening manifestation of hate, later on, a changed man), Edward Furlong (much improved from his Terminator 2 debut), Avery Brooks (excellent as always in authoritarian roles) coupled with sharp cinematography and a powerful message make this movie essential in any mature film owner's collection.
Strange we haven't seen a Collector's/Special edition yet though :-).
One little thing
The only negative thing that I have to say about this movie is the sterotype on skinheads. Not all skinheads are Nazis. Actually, it's only about 10% of the skinhead population that are white supremisists. I personally am not a skinhead but I have friends that are who are completely against that sect of skinheadism and don't even consider those who do fit the racist neo-nazi mold to be real skinheads in the first place. You should check out a documentary called Dark Planet:Visions of America to get a real, unbiased look at the skinhead scene.
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American History X
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