DIRECTOR: Tony Kaye
MPAA RATING: R
RUNNING TIME: 118 Minutes
STUDIO: New Line Cinema
| American History X (1998) |
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| CAST: Edward Norton, Edward Furlong, Beverly D'Angelo, Stacy Keach
DIRECTOR: Tony Kaye MPAA RATING: R RUNNING TIME: 118 Minutes STUDIO: New Line Cinema |
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American History X will not work for all audiences. The story itself may be too much for people to digest, but there are 2 or 3 scenes that are just plain brutal. Edward Norton, who plays a leader of an L.A. skinhead gang. He gives the performance of his life. It was also recognized by the Academy with a much deserved nomination.
This film wants to talk the race issue and it succeeds in a strong way. Norton bulked up before making the picture. He plays his character with great force and makes it very believable. This is not the same Norton that played the weasel card player in Rounders, this is something totally different. As for the plot, the bare essentials you need to know is Norton, who has killed 2 blacks attempting to rip off his car, has spent 3 years in prison. He's a reformed man, and must teach his younger brother (Furlong) not to follow in his footsteps. The prison sequence with Norton has one of the most disturbing scenes I have ever seen, it's not a pretty site. The film had alot of controversey around it, particularly with director Tony Kaye. X is not a movie that you watch over and over again, it's the kind that you analyze and take to heart. The movie is powerful and gritty. What's most unsettling about X is the fact that race and hatred are still very much alive. The film puts the nastiness revolving around racism under a big spotlight. |
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