Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2659 in DVD
• Released on: 1999-10-11
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 114 minutes

Amazon.co.uk 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

Video Description
DVD Special Features

Deleted scenes
Theatrical Trailer
Cast and Crew
Ratio: 16:9
Running Time: 114 mins approx
Subtitles: English
Chapters: 33

Synopsis
Edward Norton gives an impassioned performance as Derek Vinyard, a Southern Californian skinhead who must do time after committing a hateful murder. Once in jail, his mind opens and he sees the error of his ways. Upon reentering the real world, he must now turn his attentions to his younger brother Danny, who is swiftly heading down the same path as his brother. Controversy surrounded the film when director Tony Kaye disowned it, claiming that Norton had the film re-edited without Kaye's permission. Norton still got an Oscar Nomination for his intense performance.

Customer Reviews

On of the most powerful films ever
Edward Norton (Fight Club) stars magnificently as derek, an opinionated soul living in Southern America, a place where racism and cultural values are strong. His brother Danny (Furlong) wants to follow in his footsteps but after his time spent in prison, Derek has changed his views about society.

This is an extremly powerful film containing a massive pressure on culture and what various people from all walks of life believe about certain values. Norton is terrific as the hating immigrants emotional dominant protagonist and deservering of an Oscar nomination.

The way the film conveys issues such as racism is remarkable, what certain people will do and say is jawdropping in Kaye's 1998 film. The ending is sensational and had me in tears, showing how powerful it is.

Violence in shooting, gangs, bullying are all used to emhpasise the true meaning of the film, and it came off superbly, catching my breathe on various scenes.

the direction is remarkable, especially the flashbacks which are filmed in black and white to convey passion and recollection for the characters.

without a doubt, this is simply a must watch to make the audience see how wrong racism and violence is in society.

We are not enemies.
This is the only film i have seen which really tackles racism in a realistic and intelligent way. The Ed Norton character is an intelligent and articulate individual who convincingly preaches the twisted logic of racism. The film manages to convey most psychological explanations of racism - the authoritarian personality,the scapegoat hypothesis, in-group out-group bias, transference, etc, without feeling preachy. I can't think of a more socially important or responsible film than this. Derek's emotional oddessy is both moving and disturbing, with all points of view given equal airing, no matter how extreme. Personally I found the question asked of Derek 'Has anything you have done made your life better?' a stark and penetrating wake up call for anyone who is unhappy. The ending has been criticised for being overly emotional but I thought it was appropriate, Derek gets hurt by former chosen enemies who have not yet learnt the lesson he has. This makes us question whether Derek was wrong in the first place. This is a complicated film about a difficult subject which should be required viewing in all schools. The ultimate message is to do your best and try to get along with other people. Its not just about racism, its about personal choice, do we live to hate or do we try to make life better for ourselves and others. The director walked away from the film, my question is if he was unhappy with this cut, what would his version be like? This version is a technical, artistic and emotional triumph.

***** EXPLOSIVE AND POWERFUL *****
Edward Norton gives an extraordinarily brilliant (and Oscar nominated) performance as Derek Vinyard, a neo-nazi skinhead in this explosive and powerful drama about two brothers caught up in a cycle of racial hatred and violence. Told through the eyes of Derek's younger brother Danny, superbly portrayed by Edward Furlong, this is the story of a family torn apart after the loss of their firefighter father, killed whilst working in a black neighbourhood. As a result, the highly intelligent Derek (Norton), already influenced by his late father's bigotry and manipulated by cowardly fascist Cameron Alexander (Stacy Keach) becomes the charismatic leader of a local gang of skinheads. This inevitably leads to friction within Derek's family and his imprisonment for the murder of two black youths. Whilst in prison hero-worshipping Danny (Furlong) seeks to emulate his older brother and becomes more and more involved with the white power movement and influenced by Cameron (Keach) and his mindless morons. However, with a hero's welcome being planned for Derek's release from prison, he returns to his neighbourhood a changed man and sets out to repair the damage he's done to his family and to persuade his brother not to travel the same road.

Brilliantly written by David Mc.Kenna and with top-notch performances from both its male leads (ably supported by Avery Brooks and Stacy Keach) American History X is an intelligent and powerful examination of the causes and existence of racial bigotry and hatred. It does not seek to sensationalise rascism or violence but neither does it duck the issues. Controversial because of its frank portrayal of rascists as human beings, the scariest part of watching American History X is how credible and believable Edward Norton's rascists arguments (as the charismatic leader Derek Vinyard) can be and how easy it must be for impressionable youth to be drawn into a world of hatred and violence. This is as much education as entertainment and essential viewing for fans of intelligent drama. Described by the critics as "magnificent", "extraordinary" and "outstanding" American History X genuinely is a must see movie and a must own DVD.