American History X

American History X
by Tony Kaye

American History X
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DVD details

Actor: Avery Brooks, Beverly D'Angelo, Edward Furlong, Edward Norton, Jennifer Lien
Director: Tony Kaye
Brand: McDonald Publishing
Producer: Bill Carraro
Producer: Brian Witten
Producer: David McKenna
Writer: David McKenna
Producer: John Morrissey
Producer: Jon Hess
Producer: Kearie Peak
DVD: 2 Layers, Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled)
Format: AC-3, Anamorphic, Black & White, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen, 1.85:1
Running Time: 119 minutes
DVD Release Date: 1999-04-06
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: New Line Home Video
Product features:
  • Made with the Best Quality Material with your child in mind.
  • Top Quality Children's Item.

DVD Reviews of American History X

DVD Review: Sitting In Awe Of Norton's Performance And The Film's Message...
Summary: 5 Stars

AMERICAN HISTORY X is so powerful, so engrossing, so well-acted, that I sat in silence for some time after the last credit rolled past. The message of hate and how it affects generations is something so true and ingrained in our culture that it often defies logic. And so goes this film...

Based on the true-life story of a white supremacist, Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton, The Painted Veil), the story leads us down a path many would probably not rather see, but must see in order to understand what hateful ignorance lay in wait in America (and beyond).

After killing some black men trying to break into his car, Derek is sent to prison for several years, leaving his family to fend for themselves. Most notable is impressionistic brother Danny (Edward Furlong) who practically worships brother Derek. In high school, Danny taunts students of color and creates a few enemies that will ultimately be his undoing.

Trying to save both Derek and Danny is high school principal Bob Sweeney (Avery Brooks), a black man on a mission to salvage the men from hatred (a great role for Brooks, too, second only to Norton's amazing performance).

In prison, Derek learns a humbling lesson: those that are supposed to be your friends can be your worst enemies, and true friends can be color-blind. Derek becomes friends with an unlikely laundry buddy ...who happens to be black. The two form a bond based on trust and understanding, and a love for sports talk. Derek is surprised when he actually survives his prison term, only to learn that his survival was helped along by his friend of color. Derek has awakened to his loss of hatred of colored people (and Jews), and realizes that he has to try and save brother Danny from a similar fate.

But can he...

Edging his way back into the family, Derek distances himself from his disturbing past, but will it be in time to save his beloved skinhead brother?

Without a doubt, the film's ending can be viewed as fatalistic. We don't know what Derek is going to do but we are left with an inkling of hope that he'll stay true on his new path. Whether he would or not is left up to the audience to decide.

Which is why I remained sitting, staring at a black screen after the credits finished rolling. I wanted to see my hopeful thoughts come true; to see Derek rise up and defeat his demons. I didn't want to see what `might' happen.

I hope...

An incredibly powerful performance by Norton and an even more powerful message of (possible) redemption ...with a terrible cost.

DVD Review: American History X - Blu-ray Info
Summary: 3 Stars

Version: U.S.A / Warner - New Line / Region Free
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
VC-1 BD-50 / Advanced Profile 3 / AACS
Running time: 1:58:53
Movie size: 28,71 GB
Disc size: 29,37 GB
Total bit rate: 32.21 Mbps
Average video bit rate: 27.08 Mbps

Dolby TrueHD Audio English 1530 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1530 kbps / 16-bit (AC3 Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps)
Dolby Digital Audio English 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps

Subtitles: English SDH / Spanish
Number of chapters: 33

#3 Deleted Scenes (HD - 6m:54s)
#Trailer (HD - 2m:29s)

DVD Review: Garbage and propaganda
Summary: 1 Stars

Forced by a sociology professor to watch this film, I left the class room with a feeling of both disgust and anger not only at the waste of my own personal time but the fact that we were being indocterinated with this garbage. This film is a melodrama without the music, presenting a grotesque and pessimistic view of mankind in general (virtually every character in the film is a racist hate filled beast) and a gross exageration of tension between races (yes, yes we all know that racial harmony is an impossibility so long as whites exist yada yada yada). This film's attempts to demonize white people are offensive even to a minority like myself. For someone who attends a mutli racial school in a multi racial city I must ask myself how we can get through a 50 minute class without gunshots being fired between the blacks and whites. Or perhaps we should really be wondering why in that same classroom where racial harmony takes place in reality we're forced to watch paid actors doing the exact opposite in fairy tale land.

Its bogus message aside, its not even entertaining. Constant profanity and constant hate are things people try to avoid in real life and make for a dull and predictable watch.

Overall I can only hope no one is ever forced to watch this film again.

DVD Review: One of the BEST films of the century!!
Summary: 5 Stars

American History X is one of the rare movies that I remember after so many years after watching it. It's brilliant, shocking, thought-provoking! Edward Norton really should have gotten an Oscar for his performance. In fact, I feel that the film should have probably gotten Best Picture in the Oscars!

Getting this dvd from amazon was totally worth it! It is now part of my dvd collection library.

DVD Review: Lovely movie that sets its eyes on issues we continue to fail to address.
Summary: 5 Stars

A very eyeopening, intense drama that will have you questioning America's pursuit to quelling conflicts between racial ethnicity in this country. This film gets an A+ for reminding us where our country's been and where our country has become from its shaky history with race. Although, I have to warn, this film may offend those who are quite sensitive to the issue so if you are one of those people I suggest you watch something else... perhaps a Disney movie or something of that nature.

Description of American History X

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


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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