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 (3)
Plots(1)
Just released from prison, a neo-Nazi whose racist beliefs shifted behind bars tries to keep his teenage brother from going down the same dangerous path. (Netflix)
Videos (1)
Reviews (11)
Films dealing with racial issues are usually worth it and very good to watch, and American History X is not exception. The story is masterfully directed, incredibly raw and realistic, and manages to evoke exactly that familiar feeling of "Oh my God, this is really happening!" Although a lot of the credit for this goes to Edward Norton, who plays it for dear life and handles the gradual transformation of an independent neo-Nazi in the best and most emotional way, the other actors are also excellent, and so is the direction, which takes us deep into the heart of the human mind and easily holds our attention for almost two hours. Very strong 4* for me.
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Let's leave aside the classic methods to provoke the most basic emotions. American History X has an excellent cast (especially Edward Norton, Beverly D'Angelo and Fairuza Balk), and a logically constructed story that makes the viewer think. In addition to the purposefully used B&W sequences, there's also a cleverly interspersed massacre with the rough comedy of a guy from the laundromat who doesn't root for the KKK.
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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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Racism is a problem that we must deal with even here in our little country. Whether those who are racists are truly just idiots or in some cases it may be behavior based on experience and observation, we won't address that, but in general, I believe that labeling is wrong, even though we all do it, so we will have to accept it. However, the racism that is presented to us is wrong. It shows that there is not much distance between the idea and the act, and that should not be the case. While it is true that racism is generally bad, I personally believe that mindless humanism is equally evil. But let's move on to the movie "The Cult of the Swastika." More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2013/03/kult-hakoveho-krize-1998-85.html
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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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