Rating: 
Summary: Amazing. From beginning until the end.
Review: This movie starts of through the eyes of Danny Vinyard, a young boy who's life revolved around his older brother, Derek Vinyard, and racism. Danny looked up to his older brother in ways that most young kids do to an older sibling, as if they are god. It took me three years to finally sit down and watch this movie, not because I didn't want to, but because I never thought about it til tonight when me and my wife went to Blockbuster. I just picked it up, and was saying that we should rent it because I have heard nothing but good reviews about it. Well, the reviews didn't lie. This movie shows how life and prejudice are all a big problem in todays society. How one race can't get along with the other because of somethings that happened in the past many years ago. After the brutal slaughtering of two rival gang members of a different color for trying to steal a truck Derek's father had bought for him, Derek gets sent to prison for three years. In the time he was in prison, Derek's younger brother Danny followed in his older brothers footsteps and got active in a white supremesis gang his brother had lead. When Derek gets out of prison and goes to quit the gang, Danny becomes upset because he never had thought his brother would ever do that. After sitting down and listening to the horror story his older brother had in prison, Danny decides being racist is not the way to go. And the only reason Danny was in the gang in the first place was to impress his older brother. In my opinion, this was one of the greatest movies of all time, it shows us what is going on, and how the whole world will never get along because of race, religion, or just down out right different. Life isn't fair to everyone, and just because you were born different, doesn't make you different. We're all equal. Rent this movie, buy this movie, watch it over and over again. It will be one that you will remember for the rest of your lives.
Rating: 
Summary: Something is not quite right
Review: The premise of this film is that is about the “redemption” of an “evil NAZI" skinhead named Derek Vineyard. One would take that to mean the film is anti-racist, but I have found a few problems in the movie with that. Number one the movie does not deal with the higher intellectual elements of the National Socialist movement, there is really no discussion on the nature of jews or revisionist ideals on the so called holocaust. What it does deal with are real concerns of white Americans and it presents a great deal of the basic argument of White Nationalists. The movie is also unbelievable and unconvincing with its “anti-hate” message. For example, Derek gives a speech to a number of young skinheads on illegal immigration from Mexico. All of the facts he gives in the speech are correct and true facts that any citizen can get a hold of with a little research. Nothing in the film ever attempts to disprove or discredit these statements, save that after the speech the skins go tear up a Asian owned store. The message of “dissent on illegal immigration or the protection of American borders leads to violence” is not going to pan out with any half way intelligent person. It does leave, however, the viewer with a strong impression of the problems America faces because of illegals. The movie also serves to reinforce many racialist ideas. Another example is that blacks and other nonwhites can settle a dispute with no other means that violence. When Cameron and Seth are beaten up because of their views it strongly supports the above statement. Or when Danny is shot by the black in the bathroom because he wouldn’t stand down to him. Derek’s sister holds very liberal views which would be viewed as pathetic by even mainstream conservatives. These views are pretty well trashed during the dinner scene, where the jewish boyfriend makes a foolof himself. The same retort of “racist ideals lead to violence” is used as Derek slaps around on his sister a bit. This again is not going to fly with half way intelligent people who know that it is possible to disagree without beating someone. The only minority characters that are not portrayed as not being scum are Dr. Sweeny and Derek’s black friend in prison. Dr. Sweeny is unconvincing at best and his statements are somewhat illogical. For instance Sweeny says, “is anything you are doing making your life better?” A simple reply would be that if one believed an all white community was better than a mixed community then everything he was doing was to make his life better. Derek’s black prison friend steps in to save him after his NAZI friends in prison disown him. I do not care what your political persuasions are, if you are in prison and deserve to be you are probably not of the best character. So it is no far step that a bunch of prison thugs who happen to have swastikas tattooed on them are not a convincing as a reason to change the ideas of a serious racialist. However, the agreeable personality of one black in the movie does not do much to change the light that is shed on minorities. To conclude this film is completely unbelievable. It in no way shows why the views of Derek Vineyard are incorrect and never presents a clear path to the reasons why he changed them. The only little micro suggestion it presents is that Cameron was not as committed a National Socialist as he would have his followers believe. But just because one Christian is bad doesn’t make the religion bad.
Rating: 
Summary: RACISM...!
Review: As always Edward Norton proves he's a powerful actor. The story is extremely powerful and disturbing... but the question remains would it succeed to put an end to racism?!! If I want to discuss my opinion about the movie, I'd say it is a well-done powerful disturbing movie that I recommend watching! It may not be suitable for some because of some violent scenes but at least there is a good cause behind this movie. The story of this movie can be applied in most (if not all) countries in the world. Wherever there is hate, there is racism. And wherever there is racism, there is hate and all leads to a society weakness. The main point that I think the film missed to present was RELIGION! All religions, emphasized on loving each other whether it was Islam, Christianity or any other. All stressed on peace and love... but it is us (mankind) who start hatred and wars. The film should have presented that all of this hate was developed because of lack of faith!!!
Rating:
Summary: Misguided loyalty
Review: Excellently shot in both colour and black and white as the story moves backwards and forwards. Danny is a teenage racist, why, because his older brother Derek is, as was there father before them. Each one becoming more blinkered earlier in life. Essentially the story is in 2 parts. It is the story of Dereks racism and how it lands him in jail and how Danny idiolises him. Whilst in jail Derek sees the error in his ways and must attempt to show Danny the futility of his bigotry before he too ends up in trouble. Danny sees this as selling out and is not keen to be converted to sensible ideas. A powerful film, moreso for the black and white prison scenes, it hopefully carries the message that racial violence solves very little.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Movie!
Review: This is a truly great movie! A definite must see! This movie shows how hate gets bread into people and shows that we have the ability to turn the hate around. Some parts are alittle disturbing to watch, but in reality, it's no worse then what we see on the evening news or read in the paper. It really makes you think!
Rating:
Summary: AND THEN THERE WAS X
Review: Well lets see its very rare for me to use five stars, but American History X deserves many more. In my personal opinion it was the best movie of the year in 98, but of course would not have won due to the subject matter....its not politically correct. Thats is why I like it so much. It tells the story of hate and racisim like it truly is. It doesnt potray the skin heads as low rent, uneducated rednecks, nor does it potray them as heros, but potray them as confused frustrated youth. EDWARD NORTON.......MY GOD! he was incredible...should had gotten best actor for this film. Edward Furlong also was extremely good. the director did a amazing job in keeping the story together. He doesnt lose the audience in the flashbacks. THere is so much to say about this movie.....so ill sum it up by saying ........BUY IT! WATCH IT AGAIN AND AGAIN! BUT BE SURE NOT TO PUT YOUR MOUTH ON THE CURB
Rating:
Summary: Wow, what an eye opener
Review: I had seen parts of this movie on HBO, but never the whole thing before now. This movie is amazing. It was so hard for me to comprehend the idea that people can hate other people for the way they look, or for what they believe in, but this movie, even though it is fiction, opened my eyes to the reality that hate is taught and that people follow other people blindly just to believe in something. This movie is extremely graphic(which adds to the reality of the subject), and not for the weak of stomach. There is a lot of foul language and male nudity, but I think everybody should see this movie. All of the performances are incredible. Norton (who gained 30 pounds of muscle for this movie, and looks really sexy all buffed up) submerges himself into the role of Derek Vinyard. I felt like I was watching reality television as I watched him. I remember watching the trailer for the movie and saying to myself that it would be one to miss, I think because I wanted to shelter myself from the topic, but I am so glad I saw this movie.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Brilliant
Review: Out of all the movies I have seen with wars against whites/blacks this movie definitely has to be the best one. It tells us the story of a young man trying to turn his brother around from being like him. This movie had an amazing ending to it and I can't even compare this movie to any other. Because this movie should be in its own category.
Rating:
Summary: ILLS OF SOCIETY
Review: Not long ago I told a friend to see this disturbing but well made film, and he said, "I think I should watch the first nine parts first." This is what happens when your communications are reduced to computers. If I were talking to him verbally I could say, "American History ex..." but written it looks like American History 10. So be it. We eventually straightened it out. It is just one great film, not a ten part documentary series by Ken Burns. This film may touch you on many levels. It will make you examine your own feelings on race. It may make you confront the idea that has been put forth that we are all racists on some level. Naturally we don't take our racial feelings to extremes like the characters in this film do, but on some level we can see and understand and trace the roots of where our racial feelings come from. When I was a baby I played with a little neighbour girl who was black. We were not even a year old, and we obviously did not care what colour we were. And we did not care about this until we got older and had ideas put into our heads by our families, our surroundings, our environment and our experiences. We might think we do not care, but we do. In the film, Derek (a shocking and excellent Edward Norton) goes to prison for murdering two black boys who have come to his house and attempted to steal his truck. Derek is a violently racist, white supremacist who has tattoos of swastikas and "white power" emblazoned all over his body. The film, through the eyes of Derek's younger brother (played by Edward Furlong), illustrates not just racism but how that racism began (with their late father's tirade on the evils of affirmative action and against reading black literature in school, and of course with their father-who was a police officer-losing his life in the line of duty). All of these events and others shaped who Derek grew up to be. Naturally he resented and hated someone for taking his father from him, and all the evidence in his mind pointed to "otherness"... to blacks, to Jews, to anyone he could think in his pain and bitterness to blame. The turning point of the film comes when Derek murders the two black kids in the street in front of his house. The terrifying look on his face as he stands in the middle of the road and surrenders to the police is startling (who would have thought Edward Norton capable of that? Well, I suppose if you saw Primal Fear you know he is a superb actor). Derek goes to prison (prison scenes are filmed in black and white for a contrast) and starts to see things from a totally different angle and he comes out of prison a changed man, but by then his prior actions have changed the lives of his entire family and most of all for his younger brother whom he tries to save from having the same fate as he did. All the actors here are excellent, Norton being the most brilliant, to Beverly D'Angelo and the scary Fairuza Balk as Derek's psycho girlfriend Stacy. The ending is not at all happy, but it is about what you would expect from such an unforgiving and real look at unhappy circumstances and ills of society.
Rating:
Summary: History
Review: Some people complain that this movie glorifies racism and neo-Nazism. The glorification is to show the audience why this ideology is so attractive and that people get caught up in it for reasons other than that they are stupid (as Norton's character was quite intelligent) or evil. To fight and prevent hate, one must understand why the hate exists. This movie is incredible in telling the tale of one man's realization that the racism he adopted just gave him more problems. Avery Brooks's character points out that he too pursued an ideology of hate earlier in his life (showing the film's rejection of ALL ideologies of hate) solved none of his problems and forces Edward Norton's character to admit the same. The actors in this film played their parts brilliantly. Special kudos to Edward Norton who played the role of Derek Vinyard with a chilling power and charisma. Definitely one of my favorite actors. This is not a one-dimensional shrill call against racism. It is a powerful, complex indictment of the destruction that hate causes to society, one's family, and one's self. Watch it with an open, honest mind.
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