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Editorial Review:
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, Amazon.com
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Uncomfortably watchable! The thing which is perhaps most horrifying about this movie is that the majority of the racist points made by the main character ring true. His intelligence, or more correctly the intelligence of the writing, means he can articulate well and promote his opinion convincingly. He sells his perspective and it is easy to understand how youngsters, or those who are perhaps lost in the world could be taken in. I've read criticism from one reviewer (Soru Takahashi) that the transition from the old bitter,... more info
uncomfortable, disturbing and amazing Edward norton at his finest and most shocking. This film is absolutley brilliant, I can only assume the Oscar was lost because of the sensitive subject matter. It's very disturbing but a great story and a fantastic cast.
Powerhouse performance by Ed Norton American History X is a story based on extremist, racial violence in modern day America.
Norton plays buffed up, neo-nazi skinhead, Derek Vinyard. After his father is gunned down while tackling a fire in a black neighbourhood, Vinyard turns into a black hearted, agressive foot soldier, fighting for white supremacy, and starts seeing his country as plagued by illegal immigrants. This film has one of the best casts in cinema history. Although youll see films with star after star, such as Pulp... more info
BASED ON A TRUE STORY Not many people know this, but Ed Norton's character, Derek, is based on an actual person -- a guy that went to my high school a few years before I did. He comes to speak every year at an anti-hate assembly. They show us clips of the movie (in my case, my English teacher let us watch the whole thing) and then he comes out and speaks. It's bizarre, to see him because he sounds exactly like Derek does after he gets out of prison. He's genuinely remorseful and what most people don't realize, is what a... more info
![American History X [1999]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5127QF0HF5L._SL160_.jpg)
