If didactic and overwrought at times, it's also powerful and persuasive. [Blu-ray]
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05/25/09
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American History X (1998)
83
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:72
Fresh:60
Rotten:12
Average Rating:7.2/10
Consensus: A compelling and provocative story led by an excellent performance by Edward Norton.
Runtime: 1 hr 59 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Edward Norton gives an impassioned performance as Derek Vinyard, a Southern Californian skinhead who must do time after committing a hateful murder. Once in jail, his mind opens and he sees the... [More]
Starring: Edward Norton, Edward Furlong, Fairuza Balk, Beverly D'Angelo
Director: Tony Kaye
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Reviews for American History X
...a violent film on a weighty topic...frank and honest, its characters, actions, and ideas compelling the viewer to look further and become involved.
04/16/09
Any idiot can make us wince at the ugliness of beatings and shootings.
07/23/07
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10/30/06
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06/24/06
Well-intentioned and well-acted but unconvicning, this saga provides an instructive example to the simplistic approach taken by movies when tackling the social problem of racism.
02/26/06
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12/06/05
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07/21/05
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04/09/05
Pesado e incômodo, discute o racismo com inteligência e conta com uma interpretação absolutamente impecável de Edward Norton.
08/29/04
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07/29/04
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05/20/03
Derrick's journey to hell and the one back are portrayed organically and gradually.
12/08/02
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11/07/02
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10/15/02
The problem is that Kaye, who's used to selling cars on TV, shoots Derek the Hater as lovingly as he would a new Volkswagen.
10/07/02
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09/10/02
What partly redeems American History X from its most preachy excesses -- and makes it worth seeing -- is a brilliant, career-high performance by actor Edward Norton.
04/12/02
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03/24/02
Top CriticA work of impressive scale and craft and not a movie that's easy to dismiss in the end.
03/03/02
Latest News for American History X
August 25, 2009:
EW Lists 16 Classic "Dare You to Look" Scenes 
All the Nazi-scalpin' action in "Inglourious Basterds" has got the EW staff to thinking about some of the most hard-to-watch scenes in film -- and to that end, they've assembled... More...
October 07, 2007:
American History X Directors Cut Coming...Sort Of
In 1998, director Tony Kaye battled New Line Cinema over the release of American History X. Dissatisfied with the studio's meddling in his artistic vision, the theatrical cut... More...
August 11, 2005:
Tony Kaye Returns to Dish Out Some "Paranoia"
Controversial filmmaker Tony Kaye ("American History X") will direct his first movie in quite some time when he steps behind the cameras on "Paranoia." The... More...
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