American History X (1998)

User Rating:

8.6/10   

Director:

Tony Kaye

Writer (WGA):

David McKenna (written by)

Release Date:

30 October 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

His father taught him to hate. His friends taught him rage. His enemies gave him hope.

Plot:

A former neo-nazi skinhead tries to prevent his younger brother from going down the same wrong path that he did.

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Neo Nazi | Hatred | Skinhead | Murder

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Edward Norton	...	Derek Vinyard
Edward Furlong	...	Danny Vinyard
Beverly D'Angelo	...	Doris Vinyard
Avery Brooks	...	Dr. Bob Sweeney
Jennifer Lien	...	Davina Vinyard
Ethan Suplee	...	Seth Ryan
Stacy Keach	...	Cameron Alexander
Fairuza Balk	...	Stacey
Elliott Gould	...	Murray
Guy Torry	...	Lamont
William Russ	...	Dennis Vinyard
Joseph Cortese	...	Rasmussen (as Joe Cortese)
Jason Bose Smith	...	Little Henry (as Jason Bose-Smith)
Antonio David Lyons	...	Lawrence
Alex Sol	...	Mitch McCormick

Also Known As:

American History X (Austria) (Germany) [de]
A Outra História Americana (Brazil) [pt]
América Proibida (Portugal) [pt]
América X (Argentina) [es]
America X (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
American History X (France) [fr]
American History X (Norway) [no]
American History X (Denmark) [da]
American History X (Spain) [es]
Amerikai história X (Hungary) [hu]
Geçmisin gölgesinde (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Generacija X (Croatia) [hr]
Generation X-treme (Canada: French title) [fr]
Historia americana X (Mexico) [es]
Kult hákového kríze (Czech Republic) [cs]
Mathimata amerikanikis istorias (Greece) [el]
Wiezien nienawisci (Poland) [pl]

MPAA:

Rated R for graphic brutal violence including rape, pervasive language, strong sexuality and nudity.

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Canada:14A (Alberta) | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:18A (British Columbia) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Ontario) | Spain:13 | Australia:MA | Philippines:R-18 | Brazil:14 | Denmark:15 | Argentina:16 | Belgium:KNT | Chile:18 | Finland:K-15 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Iceland:16 | Ireland:18 | Israel:18 | Italy:VM18 | Japan:PG-12 | Malaysia:(Banned) | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 | Peru:18 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:R21 | South Korea:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:R | Greece:K-17

Filming Locations:

Johnie's Coffee Shop - 6101 Wilshire Boulevard, Fairfax, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

New Line Cinema

Trivia:

According to the book Cinematic Century, Tony Kaye's lawsuit against the studio over the use of his name in the credits was for $275 million.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the beginning of the film, when Derek runs out of the house and finishes shooting at the black thief stealing his father's truck, in slow motion he turns around facing the camera, with the gun still in the same hand he was using to fire it. Later on in the movie, when this scene is replayed from a different shot, he turns around and puts the gun in his other hand.

Quotes:

Danny Vinyard: I believe in death, destruction, chaos, filth, and greed.

Movie Connections:

References An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)

Soundtrack:

Battle Hymn of the Republic

An amazing film

A good friend of mine suggested this film, and I really didnt know what to expect going in, but after this film was over, I sat in stunned silence. I knew that racism was horrible, but I found through this film that it does not come without a terrible price..the loss of love, friends, family...and the realization that everything that you believed to be true isnt always the way things are. Edward Norton's performance takes the viewer through this journey, and its not a pretty one. He goes from an bright young man, to a vengeful bigot, to a remorseful excon with a brothers life in jeopardy, and you feel as though you are looking in on someones life in the course of 2 hrs. All of the acting in this film is first rate, and the ending wasnt quite as predictable as others might have you believe...it is quite shocking, as is much of the film. It causes quite a debate on the way people view others whos skin color is not the same. As Dr. King said, judge me not on the color of my skin, but on the content of my character. I live with racism, because I am a black man living in America...it exists, but if we educate ourselves like the main character in AHX, it wont stay around for much longer. Hopefully it wont be too late, as it was for him. Peace and Love, JB33 Rating 5 stars