FemaleFirst.co.uk: DVD: American History X [DVD] [1999]

American History X [DVD] [1999]
enlarge	Director: Tony Kaye Actors: Edward Norton, Edward Furlong, Beverly D'Angelo, Avery Brooks, Jennifer Lien Studio: Entertainment in Video Category: DVD List Price: ~~£19.99~~ Buy Used: £1.28 as of 14/3/2010 15:28 GMT details You Save: £18.71 (94%) New (38) Used (51) from £1.28 Seller: zoverstocks Rating: 88 reviews Sales Rank: 1840 Format: PAL, Widescreen Languages: English (Subtitled), English (Original Language) Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over Region: 2 Discs: 1 Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Number Of Discs: 1 Running Time: 114 Minutes Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2 Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6 EAN: 5017239190452 ASIN: B00004RCKX Theatrical Release Date: October 30, 1998 Release Date: October 11, 1999 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days


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Editorial Reviews: Amazon.co.uk Review Perhaps the highest compliment you can pay to Edward Norton is that his Oscar-nominated performance in IAmerican History X/I 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. p 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 IAmerican History X/I 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. --IJeff Shannon, Amazon.com/I

Customer Reviews: Showing reviews 1-5 of 88 1 2 3 4 5 6 ...18 Next » One of the best films I've ever seen April 18, 2001 5 out of 5 found this review helpful This film is stunning and quite possibly one of the best films you'll ever see. No film has had such a sudden impact on me quite like this one has. From the eye opening and absorbing plot to the breathtaking performances, this is a true epic. Ed Norton is simply superb - how he can go from being so scary one moment and then so friendly the next is beyond me. His fascinating character immediately draws you into the film and somehow forces you to care about an individual that at first is full of antagonism. There are also strong performances from the supporting actors, in particular the brother, who appears to be no older than he was in Terminator 2. The direction of the plot is also top-notch with the events leading up to and the development of Norton's hateful and violent nature portrayed in authentic black and white. The portrayal of these events are smoothly intertwined with the present day events allowing you to learn of why things are happening as they are happening. The story is told through the eyes of the brother who appears to be rapidly following in the fatalistic foot-steps of his older brother (Norton) who is desperate to teach him what he has learnt form his recent experiences inside. The ending is brilliant leaving you shocked and stunned and is the final piece of the jigsaw that is hatred, sorrow and remourse. As for the dvd, there's not too many extras, just the usual biographies etc, but who cares when the film is this good. Plug it into your speakers and be amazed. One of the great films of all time October 12, 2003 Jean Bradbury 5 out of 5 found this review helpful This is a truly great film, intelligent and thought provoking. Edward Norton is amazing.pFilms like this need to be made because the problems confronted are still very real. The film takes you into the mind of a hardcore, militant racist in a world were he has to confront that which he hates. The debate between Norton and Eliott Gould is masterful, Gould's character being Jewish leads to inevitable consequences. The politics of the white power movement are depicted amazingly and it is a refreshing change for a skinhead to be depicted in a morally balanced way.pIt is a shame that, because of the language, this film will never be shown in schools. If the teachers werent so seemingly scared of the language that most teenagers use anyway, this film could easily be used as a great film to analyse morals and beliefs in our society.pIn the year 2003, we should have evolved past racism. Unfortunately, we havent. On of the most powerful films ever December 21, 2006 Stampy (England) 13 out of 14 found this review helpful 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. br / br /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. br / br /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. br / br /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. br / br /the direction is remarkable, especially the flashbacks which are filmed in black and white to convey passion and recollection for the characters. br / br /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. December 1, 2001 james peter wootton 13 out of 14 found this review helpful 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. Haunting, Disturbing, welcome to racial america February 27, 2006 4 out of 4 found this review helpful Not often is it for a film to condone the subject of racism to such a degree, but AMERICAN HISTORY X does just that. What most movies that involve the topic of racism fail to do is examine and explore the devastating effects that it can have on families, friends and complete strangers, but AMERICAN HISTORY X succeeds in achieving this to a previously unreached degree. Nothing in this movie is far short from perfect, from the Directon to the script to the performances. AMERICAN HISTORY X never fails to surprise, shock, display, terify or put forward a point that racism is wrong.pDerek Vinyard (Norton) is an intelligent white kid from Verona Beach in California, who#x27;s turned to the morally wrong life of the racist skinhead after his father was murdered in broad daylight. Trying to follow in his older brother#x27;s footsteps, Danny (Furlong) hangs out with the other racists, who are headed by local Race Tyrant Cameron alexander (Keach). Despite his racially motivated behaviour, Danny#x27;s family, who include his mother Doris (D Angelo) and sister Davina (Lien), and friends, who include his Principal Robert Sweeney (Brooks), all attempt to help him out of his emotional rut that he#x27;s dug himself into. It#x27;s only when Derek is released after three years in prison that Danny is finally able to see what a low form of life racism is, but by then, it#x27;s too late....pLike many movies like it, AMERICAN HISTORY X succeeds in displaying a vivid and accurate view of modern day skinheads without making any immediate reference to the KKK, or using any old-school methods of black vs white violence. Instead, the film displays a view through the eyes of a teenage boy who#x27;s mind has been corrupted by the evergrowing presense of racism. Many people criticise the film for encouraging bigoted views of the black community, but that is not what it does. It instead is told in the manner of an english report and filled with the slogans and events that are just as true to the world today as they were back when racism was commonplace. Showing reviews 1-5 of 88 1 2 3 4 5 6 ...18 Next »

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