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American History X

8.3

154,634

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Original title

American History X

Year

1998

Running time

119 min.

Country

United States

Director

Tony Kaye

Screenwriter

David McKenna

Cast

Music

Anne Dudley

Cinematography

Tony Kaye

Producer

New Line Cinema

Genre

Drama | Racism. Prison Drama. Nazism. Street Gang. Cult movie

Synopsis

Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton) is a Southern Californian skinhead who must do time after committing a hateful murder. Once in jail, his mind opens and he sees the error of his ways. Upon reentering the real world, he must now turn his attentions to his younger brother Danny (Edward Furlong), who is swiftly heading down the same path as his brother.

Rankings Position

#6 Best Movies of the '90s
#25 Best Drama Movies
#26 Best US Movies of all time
#33 Best Movies in the history of film

Awards: 1998: Nominated for Oscar: Best Actor (Edward Norton)

1998: Chicago Film Critics Awards: Nominated for Best Actor (Edward Norton)

1998: Satellite Awards: Best Actor (Norton). 3 Nom.: Screenplay & Supp. Actress (D'Angelo)

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Critics' reviews

"I must be clear. This is a good and powerful film. If I am dissatisfied, it is because it contains the promise of being more than it is (... )Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"

Roger Ebert: rogerebert.com
"[It] has enough fiery acting and provocative bombast to make its impact felt (...) [It] knows which raw nerves to hit."

Janet Maslin: The New York Times
"A shockingly powerful screed against racism that also manages to be so well performed and directed that it is entertaining as well"

Gene Siskel: Chicago Reader
"Too black and white (...) Predictable soap-boxing"

Paul Tatara: CNN
"Arrestingly photographed, and boasting another intelligent and muscular performance by the chameleon-like Edward Norton"

Michael O'Sullivan: The Washington Post
"There may be much to like about his movie, but it's all been done before to more challenging degrees of moral ambiguity. That's a pretty fatal flaw."

Joshua Klein: AV Club
"[It] digs to uncommon depths in examining the roots of prejudice and the wages of hate-inspired violence."

Todd McCarthy: Variety
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Ranking Lists Position

5 Movies with a Great Male Lead (218)
6 My Favorite Dramas (728)
7 Movies I Want to Own (193)
9 Absolute Musts (57)
13 My Favorite Movies (7006)
13 My Favorites from the 90s (487)
18 My Favorite Cult Classics (238)
21 Movies with the Best Endings (314)
26 Movies I Like But Wouldn't Recommend to Everyone (49)
33 Most Moving Movies (119)
37 Movies with the Best Beginnings (not including opening credits) (43)
41 Movies I Liked More the Second Time I Watched Them (27)
47 Movies with Great Screenplays (66)
48 Movies I Have Seen A Billion Times (152)
55 Best Movie Posters Ever (My Favorite Posters) (30)
75 The Most Unpleasant Movies I Have Ever Watched (18)
77 Movies I Own (1066)
79 Movies with Skillful Editing (18)
85 Overrated Movies (99)
98 Movies that Don't Seem that Special but are Very Special to Me (45)
99 Weird Films I Actually Love - Not Everybody's Thing (7)

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American History X

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