American History X
Background Information: American History X [Top] American History X is a 1998 film directed by Tony Kaye which tells the story of a white supremacist who learns that his beliefs are Morallly Negative & tries to save his younger brother from following in his footsteps. It stars Edward Norton, Edward Furlong, Beverly DAngelo, Jennifer Lien, Ethan Suplee, Fairuza Balk, Avery Brooks, Elliott Gould & Stacy Keach. The screenplay was written by David McKenna. Norton was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in the lead role. There was a controversy about the film in which director Tony Kaye tried to have his name removed from the credits because supposedly actor Edward Norton had had the movie re-edited to give himself more screen time. However, the Directors Guild of America had a rule at the time that if a director took his name off the credits & had it replaced by the Guilds pseudonym Alan Smithee, the director could not explain his reasons for it. Kaye was denied use of the pseudonym as he had already spoken about the controversy in Variety. Posters Of American History XEditorial DVD Review [Top] 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 doesnt horrify you, it should; Norton is so fully immersed in his role as a neo-Nazi skinhead that his characters eloquent defense of racism is disturbingly persuasive, at least on the surface. Looking lean & mean with a swastika tattoo & a mind full of hate, Derek Vinyard has inherited racism from his father, & that learning has been intensified through his service to Cameron , a grown-up thug playing tyrant & teacher to a growing band of disenfranchised teens from Venice Beach, California, all hungry for an ideology that fuels their brooding alienation.
The films basic message, that hate is learned & can be unlearned, is expressed through Dereks kid brother, Danny , whose sibling hero-worship increases after Derek is imprisoned for the killing of two black men. Lacking Dereks 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, & American History X partially suffers from a mix of intense emotions, awkward sentiment & predictably inevitable plotting. And yet British director Tony Kaye manages to juggle these qualities, & a compelling clash of visual styles, to considerable effect. No matter how strained their collaboration may have been, both Kaye & Norton can be proud to have created a film that addresses the issue of racism with dramatically forceful impact. Biography: Edward Furlong [Top] Edward Furlong is an American actor. He was born in Glendale, California, near Burbank, California. He is also well-known supporter of animal rights. The son of Elenor Torres & an unknown father, he was raised by his uncle & aunt. Judgment Day, a role that earned him an MTV Movie Award for best breakthrough role & a Saturn Award for best young actor. He also starred in American History X & was featured in an Aerosmith music video for Living on the Edge. Judgment Day, when Furlong was at the Pasadena Boys & Girls Club. Edward Furlong at the Internet Movie Database.
Posters Of American History XEditors Choice: American History X, The Crow, Animal Factory, Detroit Rock City, Brainscan, Little Odessa, Pet Sematary 2, View DVDology Biography: Edward Norton [Top] Edward James Norton Jr. is an American actor & a notoriously private figure who does not typically embrace his celebrity status. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, but he grew up in Columbia, Maryland. His mother Robin was an English teacher who died of a brain tumor in 1997 & his father, Edward Sr. was an attorney & one-time federal prosecutor under the Carter administration, who now works for the National Trust for Historic Preservation. He is the grandson of developer James Rouse, designer of the city of Columbia, Maryland, as well as Baltimores Inner Harbor & Bostons Quincy Market. He graduated from Yale with a degree in history & has since played roles in many movies including a film adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk s cult hit Fight Club. Norton was launched into the spotlight by Primal Fear, for which he garnered numerous nominations & won a Golden Globe for best supporting actor, playing a young, timid-but-vicious convict.
Posters Of Red DragonEditors Choice: Red Dragon, Fight Club, The 25th Hour, Death To Smoochy, The Score, American History X, Keeping The Faith, Rounders, View DVDology Biography: Tony Kaye [Top]
Additional Articles & Resources: [Top] Tony Kaye: | Wikipedia Article * |
Edward Norton: | IMDB Filmography | The Norton Anthology | Wikipedia Article * | Edward furlong: | Wikipedia Article * | American History X: | Wikipedia Article * | Link To This Article: [Top] ©2004-2008 DVDArk.co.uk * Some data on DVD Ark is derived from this GNU FDL article.
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