This movie is an excellent heart-wrenching story of what racism and hatred could do to a person and how it can how easily people can be influenced and the impact that you can have on the people around you. How one decision can change your whole life and the lives of everyone you love. How one choice you make can turn into a domino effect that ends in heartbreaking tragedy. I feel that everyone should watch this movie as it truly teaches that hatred and prejudism lead to nothing but heartache, pain, & deadly consequences.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
This DVD does not work on my dvd player. I'm not sure why this is since it looks like a legitimate disc. All my other DVDs work on my player. So again, I don't know why this one won't work.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
I LOVE American History X. It is a movie that touched my heart! Edward Norton A.K.A. Derek Vinyard, Prominant Skinhead, the protege of Cameron Alexander, A young Impressionable teenager who was trying to find his place, I love the controversy Between "Whites" And "Blacks" as well as other races. I love that ultimately this movie would be an excellent teaching resource for Teenagers who need to see this, only with the rules in our school systems, we'd be lucky if they'd allow the edited version in their History Classes, And in this day in age sadly 14 year ols should be watching this!! I have no problem with my 14 year old and 12 year old daughters watching it, in fact I encourage it, only Ive seen this movie a few times so yes Id tell them to cover their ears & close their eyes during certain extreme scenes, but yes, I highly recommend this movie... Excellent resource for an impressionable teenager whom thinks he or she hates every other skin color.. It shows that hate never solves anything, and life IS too short to carry that baggage around!! It's a few bucks, shipped to ur door, guaranteed to work .. It's woth it!! ~Lizzie~Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
On the day that his older brother is due to be released from prison, student Danny Vinyard (Edward Furlong) turns in a paper praising Hitler's Mein Kampf to his Jewish teacher Murray (Elliot Gould). He is sent to the principal, Bob Sweeney (Avery Brooks) who assigns him another task. He gives him a day to complete an essay on the events that have shaped his life, including the events leading up to the imprisonment of his brother. The assignment will be called American History X. Writing this essay provides the cinematic device to tell the story of Danny and his older brother Derek (Edward Norton). Derek has been imprisoned for the killing of two men who tried to steal his car one night. Derek didn't kill them because they were thieves but because they were black, and he had been the leader of a neo-Nazi, white-power group. Derek's hatred of blacks was triggered when his father, a fireman, was killed by drug-dealers (presumed black), who shot him as he attempted to put out a fire in a poor neighbourhood. Hooking up with a local white-power activist Cameron (Stacy Keach), he organises a group of white kids into an organised mob who terrorise local non-white owned businesses. Derek's racism is directed at anyone he meets - he explodes with rage when he finds that Murray is friendly with his mother, because he is Jewish. So when he finds two black kids (one of whom he had encountered before) messing with his car, he has no hesitation in killing them. One of them survives the initial hail of gunfire but Derek finishes him off as he lies wounded on the footpath. When Derek is released (after serving three years for manslaughter), he returns home to find his mother ( Beverly D'Angelo) and siblings living in a small, shabby apartment, and that Danny has become involved in the neo-Nazi movement. Derek's own reputation has been enhanced by his crime, but he wants nothing more to do with Cameron's activities, and is determined to stop his younger brother following in his footsteps. The film follows his attempt to explain to Danny how his life has changed, and Danny's own exploration of his family's past (through writing his essay). Tony Kaye's film is a thoughtful and sometimes shocking account of a skinhead's descent into murder and his eventual attempt at rehabilitation. The film is driven by two outstanding performances, from Edward Norton and Edward Furlong. Norton is simply frightening as the hate-filled Derek, all shaven scowl and bedecked with swastika tattoos. His portrayal depicts a keen intellect corrupted by an unfocussed rage. However, Edward Furlong has arguably the harder role, as it is more subtle and less showy. As a gangly teenager, desperate for a sense of belonging, and looking for someone to look up to, Furlong's Danny looks as uncomfortable in his own body as he does in his surroundings. The film is sustained by the sheer power of their performances.Read full review
I wanted to add this to my collection not because I am a racist or because I dislike other human beings. I added it because it is a tremendous reflective movie. It is very deep, insightful into the ignorances that breed the terrible things that happen in our world. Any viewer can enjoy this movie. Is it violent, YES. It does show a very well known perspective of racism and current culture that is rampant in our culture today. It also offers a very relative perspective into the leveling and equaling nature of the Criminal Justice System. Hopefully it paints a view no one wants to experience. I think it is a great movie, when as a man, I can look back at history and reflect on events that lead to our ignorance in both black, white and other cultures that experience racism. I like the pride displayed in the movie for white pride but not the message or the origin of the subject matter. I like when a culture, either black, white, asian, or any other expresses pride in whom they are and where they came from. I personally wish we could all put down the ignorances that separate us. I hope you watch this movie multiple times enough to find your own view that helps us grow together as a people that does not rely on color or previous cultural misconceptions.Read full review
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