American History X
Derek Vinyard (Norton), the charasmatic leader of a group of young white supremacists, lands in prison for a brutal, hate-driven murder. Upon his release, ashamed of his past and pledging to reform, Derek realizes he must save his younger brother, Danny (Furlong) from a similar fate. A groundbreaking controversial drama about the tragic consequences of racism in a family, American History X also stars Fairuza Balk, Elliot Gould, Stacy Keach and Beverly D'Angelo.
Member Reviews
Very Powerful Movie - MFisher
This movie was incredible. It had a great point and very graphically proved that point. Edward Norton was amazing as usual and it was interesting to see the progression and transformation he went through to reform his life. This is definately worth a watch but just a warning it can be disturbing.This film bleeds the truth, speaks the lingo, and delivers on all counts of entertainment - moviemonger
Intense, powerful, stylish directorial debut from British director Tony Kaye, pulls together all aspects of dramatic achievement, including a solid and emotional story line, an original film style and solid performances by its cast, most specifically, the genuinely flawless portrayal by Edward Norton. This film drives home many of the sentiments seething beneath the hate of many people in this country. It probes to explain and unravel their seeds of antipathy, while presenting us with a fair portrayal of the many sides of the human development. Why do we hate? And even when we do, do we allow it to serve any real purpose in our lives, or do we simply hate because we need something or someone else to blame? One of the characters said it best in the film, "Has anything you've done, made your life better?" This film bleeds the truth, speaks the lingo, and delivers on all counts of entertainment, socially relevant value and solid performances.Powerful, Disturbing And Often Brutal - This Makes Its Point - revsdd
Offering both a disturbing look at the inside workings of a neo- Nazi skinhead group, as well as a reflection on the redemption of one of its former leaders, this is a powerful movie that is both disturbing and sobering. It's fast-paced and never loses itself in moralizing or philosophizing, although the temptation was there. The story revolves around an assignment given to a white teenager by his black principal. The teen, whose brother was the former skinhead trying to go straight after doing time in prison, had written a paper expressing admiration for Mein Kampf. His principal assigned him to write the story of his brother, focusing on its social significance. That angle could, as I said, have led to a lot of moralizing. Instead, it served as a springboard to a powerful series of flashbacks detailing the brother's growing involvement in the movement and his experiences in prison that led to him turning around, as well as a bit of the story of him going straight upon his release. The brother was brilliantly played by Edward Norton. The movie is very brutal and violent at times and is not for the faint of heart. It also seems that a lot happens as a result of one assignment that had to be done in one night.
Director Tony Kaye made a good decision to film parts of the movie in black and white, which made a statement in itself of the danger of seeing things in simplistic terms. In the end, this isn't a movie that simply attacks the white skinhead movement. It points out the problem of hate for the sake of hate, and, while focusing on the skinhead movement, the point is applicable when applied to black gang bangers or Latino gangs or any other race-based or religion-based hate movement. Hatred is a waste of time and energy - ultimately, hatred is a waste of life, a point powerfully made in the closing scenes. This won't leave you feeling good - but it isn't designed to. It will leave you with an understanding of the pointlessness of hate.
Member Reviews
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Very Powerful Movie - MFisher
This movie was incredible. It had a great point and very graphically proved that point. Edward Norton was amazing as usual and it was interesting to see the progression and transformation he went through to reform his life. This is definately worth a watch ...This film bleeds the truth, speaks the lingo, and delivers on all counts of entertainment - moviemonger
Intense, powerful, stylish directorial debut from British director Tony Kaye, pulls together all aspects of dramatic achievement, including a solid and emotional story line, an original film style and solid performances by its cast, most specifically, the ...Powerful, Disturbing And Often Brutal - This Makes Its Point - revsdd
Offering both a disturbing look at the inside workings of a neo- Nazi skinhead group, as well as a reflection on the redemption of one of its former leaders, this is a powerful movie that is both disturbing and sobering. It's fast-paced and never loses itself ...