Directed by:
Tony KayeScreenplay:
David McKennaCinematography:
Tony KayeComposer:
Anne DudleyCast:
Edward Norton, Edward Furlong, Beverly D'Angelo, Jennifer Lien, Ethan Suplee, Fairuza Balk, Avery Brooks, Elliott Gould, Stacy Keach, William Russ, Guy Torry (more)VOD (4)
Plots(1)
Derek Vinyard is dangerous, a coiled fury of hate who leads a neo-Nazi gang. But time and events start to change him. He reassesses his ways while doing time for manslaughter and emerges from prison eager to keep his younger brother (Edward Furlong) from falling victim to the thug cycle of violence and payback. It may be too late. Weaving in and out of events past and present in Derek's life, American History X is revealing in its look at white-supremacist gangs and impassioned in its message that hatred and bigotry can be unlearned. (Warner Bros. UK)
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Reviews (12)
Damn well written, acted, and directed. Tendentious in relation to "how people should think about this film" and what conclusion they should then draw from it. The whole "bad boys gone good" storyline (or, in the case of Rihanna, Good Girl Gone Bad) is commercially brilliantly handled, sold, squeezes out the emotions, and willy-nilly pushes the viewer into the philosophy of believing that all hate and anger is tiresome and life-threatening. It's just... it's just that even though almost everything in this film works as it should, in this work there’s no amount of deeper thought that would also make you think more deeply. Paradoxically, the pissed off main character, with all his resentment and hatred, remains the driving force of the entire film, which is a bit funny with the final quote that urges us not to get pissed off and hate our fellow human beings. I'm certainly not saying that American History X is a bad film. Formally and commercially, it is truly a work of art. On the other hand, it boggles my mind how many people get sucked in and fooled by such an essentially linear and superficial story (okay, even I succumbed a bit for a while). 4 stars, but no more.
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A film I kept postponing, I just didn’t feel like watching it. Now I can say with a clear conscience that it was a huge mistake. The film tackles very serious social issues, strong neo-Nazism and the associated racism towards minorities, and isn’t afraid to show their true side. Everyone should see this film, as it also serves as a documentary depiction of their customs and acts as a kind of probe into their lives. It’s not easy to watch, it’s quite intense. Both Edwards are truly excellent, Norton, in my opinion, opened the doors to Hollywood with this amazing performance; after this film, offers must have been flying onto his desk one after another. On the other hand, it’s a shame that such a talented actor is no longer as utilized these days. At times, the black-and-white filter further intensifies the dense atmosphere. I don’t know the director well, but anyone who manages to make you genuinely hate the main character at the beginning and then, by the end, when he tries to reset his life and start with a clean slate and simply live normally, makes you sympathize with him, has accomplished something. The ending is crushing, as expected. You simply can’t escape the past, no matter how hard you try. I might add a few more percent over time; for now, it’s a strong four stars, and I give it 86%.
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As a film about the danger of neo-fascism and racial violence shown in schools as part of education, American History X would work almost flawlessly, but as a drama with artistic ambitions and also with such high ratings from fans, this film is not convincing for me. The problem is not in the actors, because Norton and Furlong belong to the very best that American cinema can count on in this age category, the problem is simply in the unconvincing screenplay that steers the story too much toward a family melodrama, where a school assignment or a fabricated prison story is enough to turn toward the right path, which really doesn't feel authentic. It is not even a film incidentally mapping a very interesting scene of American far-right heavily influenced by Christian fundamentalism, and it is not even a film about the skinhead movement. The film is based on the acting talent of Edward Norton, who underwent an incredible physical transformation and suddenly became an uncompromising guy with a well-built physique and a hateful grin on his face, who can execute members of a black gang in one of the two truly intense scenes. Overall impression: 65%.
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An excellent film with a superb Edward Norton about the fact that scum can be found among both whites and blacks – but that’s something every sane person knows already. The film, however, doesn’t answer the question of how to solve this problem, provided, that is, that the viewer is not supposed to subscribe to the naive idea of the re-education of a Nazi in prison. But even if it was a stupid film (which is not, it’s just a little intellectually half-baked), Norton’s performance would still keep it afloat.
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Strange, but I suspected it was coming to exactly that ending – the ending of the movie, that is. For me, the story doesn't end. I'll still be caught up in imagining what came next. How this last event played out in the lives of these "fictional" people. And I regret it; the foolishness, the ignorance, the rudeness, the hatred, the understanding, the leader, the indelible mark. What a strange picture. It's just that my heart isn't beating enough for it to get 5 stars.
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Gallery (63)
Photo © 1998 New Line Cinema
![American History X - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/157/876/157876599_794f99.jpg)
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