American History X

1998 "Some Legacies Must End."
8.5| 1h59m| R| en
Details

Derek Vineyard is paroled after serving 3 years in prison for killing two African-American men. Through his brother, Danny Vineyard's narration, we learn that before going to prison, Derek was a skinhead and the leader of a violent white supremacist gang that committed acts of racial crime throughout L.A. and his actions greatly influenced Danny. Reformed and fresh out of prison, Derek severs contact with the gang and becomes determined to keep Danny from going down the same violent path as he did.

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Reviews

Sexyloutak Absolutely the worst movie.
Beystiman It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.
PiraBit if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.
BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.
Martin Andersson And if you fail to stick to your own, your brother will be killed as well. The only way to exist is to make it crystal clear that bloody vengeance is coming if you or one of yours is hurt.Sure, the movie ends with some waffling from George Washington. But what happened to George Washington? He got shot too, just like Dani. His message is a message for those that want to get shot in the head. Or have that done to their family.
danielfr-44303 American history x was very successful at drawing the neo-nazis of America for us and showing us how things were on that years a very powerful script with an amazing actor the great edward norton is the things you need to create a great movie.
Doug Burr I will get the things I did not like out of the way first. There were a few things I found implausible. I will not give spoilers, but there were a few times you can tell the plot was a bit contrived to fit the authors narrative. It was as if they were willing to sacrifice a bit of realism for a neater story. I also object to the ending, again I will not reveal what happens, but it felt unnecessary. Kind of like overkill. With some slight reshuffling there could have been a more rewarding ending. What they decided on is shocking, but it doesn't really add. With that out of the way I can talk about the good. Taking a serious look at Neo Nazis is a very bold move. The overall message is still that racism is bad, which is hardly original in itself, but I still like how they did it. Instead of making the Nazis ridiculous cartoon villains, they actually gave them a credible perspective. Not that you have to agree with their views, but you can at least see why the characters think the way they do. Actually, if anything some of the liberal characters are at times more cartoonish. Then again that might just be because it is so much more common for liberal political opinions to be in Hollywood movies, so they inevitably seem more cliche. The cast all do a great job, Edward Norton deserves recognition for this, he was able to bring a very complex character to life, and explore some very dark themes. I know this movie was made well before Breaking Bad, but it does remind me of Walter White, in the sense that you may not agree with everything he does, but you cannot stop watching to see what happens next. Overall, this is a very heavy film, you need to be in the right mood for it, but if you are, it is very rewarding. This is a great movie.
grantss Derek Vinyard is a skinhead and the leader of a white supremacist gang. After killing two black men who tried to steal his truck he is sent to prison for three years. Prison gives him a time to think about his life and when he comes out he decides to avoid the hate and prejudice of his past. He leaves the gang and attempts to live a normal life. However, his previous actions and prejudices may have influenced his younger brother.Superb drama. A great examination of prejudice and racial hatred, the causes and effects of it, and how it shapes, and destroys, lives. Also looks at the generational impact of it.Well written and directed with a powerful, profound ending.Great performance by Edward Norton in the lead role. Well deserved his Best Actor Oscar nomination.