In 1998, the United States rolled out, and after the whole world, the film debut directed by Tony Kay “American History X” came out (actors: Edward Norton, Jennifer Lien, Edward Furlong, Beverly D'Angelo, Ethan Sapley, etc.). The movie turned out to be more than provocative, shocking, but most importantly - interesting and beautiful. The box office only slightly exceeded the budget of the filmstrip, the project received dividends much later. Now this film is rightly called a cult.
Fight against vices
The film "American History X" (the actors and the roles that they have played, are the subject of heated debate so far) is an author's view of the struggle against individual human vices, such as racism and nationalism. Critics amicably dubbed the film another attempted reprisal against them - a vaccination of political correctness in the fragile minds of the younger generation of Americans. It was not known for certain whether the painting was a state order, but it was made professionally, efficiently and tastefully. Watching the tape is interesting. It could even be called ideal, if not for the presence in the plot of several unpleasant moments. It is not known what the actors of the film “American X-History” imagined, but screenwriter David McKenna saw it as a story about hatred, the origins and motives of its occurrence, the essence and consequences of this destructive feeling. Director Tony Kay wanted to tell about his harsh reality with his work, and as a result of their joint efforts, a movie was made about neo-Nazis and the tragic fate of the Derek Vinyarda family.
Lead Artist and Editor
Oddly enough, but the final installation was really performed by the lead actor Edward Norton. In fairness, it is worth noting that he did not have to master the wisdom of skill, he led a team of professionals, among whom were Alan Heim and Gerald B. Greenberg. The fact is that the original version of the picture was categorically rejected by the studio. American History X, whose actors were already known to a wide audience, could fail at the box office because it was too fast and pretty tough. Although the director was against scenes like “everyone cries, forgives and hugs”, Norton deliberately ordered the film to be mounted so that his character appeared on the screen twice as much, revealing his inner world, than distorted the original idea of the creators.
Acting Edward Norton
His acting, praised by film critics in 1998-1999, deserves special attention. To the contemporary viewer, his acting may seem even weak, many contemporaries believe that Edward was not able to fully reveal the image of his character. Norton, in fact, is a very good actor, but there is a lot of “himself” in him. A viewer familiar with Edward in other roles (Red Dragon, Fight Club, Illusionist, etc.) will see in this picture a convincingly crying, indignant, screaming, less often joyful, but still Norton. For the sake of this, it is already worth recommending the film “American History X” for viewing. Actors pushed into the background by him will also be interesting to the viewer. But not so much.
Plot
American X-History, whose actors and roles were carefully selected and perfectly matched to each other, has a plot that is difficult for ordinary people to perceive. At the center of the story is the story of the main character Danny Vinyard (act. Edward Furlong), a teenager who idolizes his older brother and therefore has been absorbing Nazi ideology since childhood. One day, the school principal, an African American, asks him at home to write an essay on his older brother Derek (act. Edward Norton). Derek is an authority, a leader of local neo-Nazis and on this very day he is released from prison. During the period of imprisonment, Derek changes terribly, which he tells his younger brother about, but much later. The events of the picture are developing in parallel - in the present tense and in the past (Derek’s memoirs). All of them are reflected in the school essay of Danny. Opus Vinyard Jr. reveals the problem of the influence of the family on the formation of personality, as well as American History X. Actors who played siblings, after the end of filming maintain warm friendly relations.
The ratio of the importance of heroes
The viewer watches what is happening on the screen through the eyes of Danny, realizing how much the individual actions of his older brother influence the views and beliefs of the teenager. Based on the author’s intention and the construction of the story (the turn of building frames), it is not difficult to guess that such an observation becomes the most accented moments, despite the fact that they do not take a lot of time. In fact, the entire timing should be provided to Derek, but only as a created image in the eyes of his younger brother. However, after the radical changes imposed by Norton, instead of a picture about the formation of the teenager’s personality under the influence of the family, the viewer can contemplate the life story of Derek Vinyard, and Danny’s attention is paid only in the final. Such is the movie "American History X." The actors, whose photos decorate the poster of the film, are reluctant to talk about the occasion of the occasion with the footage.
Black and white and color episodes
The ratio of the importance of the characters proves that the film can be divided into color and black and white episodes. Such a director’s move has a much deeper foundation than the distinction between events in the present and past. Color can mean the beginning of another life, a supposed future in which false ideals are rejected.
If you look at the events of the film chronologically, you can see that the color does not change in those episodes in which the worldview of the protagonist changes, and not in those where Derek and his family reunite. The picture becomes color when Danny must rethink his views on the world through an essay. Of course, everything is much more complicated: Danny led to a reassessment of his views on life a conversation with his brother, who was in the know about the essay and, thus, helped him, as the black director in prison had helped Derek.
Neo-Nazis praised this film. Young people with similar views absorbed all the beautiful shots and pathos of the film, but could not comprehend the ideological messages of the director and screenwriter - this is the second problem of American History X, the final version of which could not do without the intervention of Edward Norton.
Even on the set between the director and the actor there were scandals. Kay claimed that the actor often contradicted and rudely treated him. In addition, the director said that he had no desire to shoot Norton, who was arrogant because of his first success.
The disagreement between the studio and Tony Kay reached the court. Kay was outraged by his removal from the installation and demanded that his name change in the credits to a pseudonym. The Directors Guild of the United States rejected this request, arguing that Kay had violated the Guild’s rules associated with pseudonyms in the credits. Then Tony filed a lawsuit against the Guild and the studio and demanded compensation for moral damage with compensation of 200 million.
Relevance for all time
There is no doubt that the picture made a lot of noise after it was released, and now, after almost 18 years, it remains exciting and relevant. In addition to all the upheavals of the industry and subsequent “paper” scandals, the inside of the film turned out to be explosive - its theme, which is usually avoided in a neat and pseudo-tolerant American society. Actors of the film “American History X”, having embodied the idea of the authors on the screen, raised the topic of racism inconvenient for the USA, not only warlike radical forms, but also expressions of discontent and indignation just at a family dinner. So, the film demonstrates how racism is born, and in the souls and minds of children from well-off and prosperous families.
Through fiery agitation speeches of the excited Derek, which are difficult to argue with, the viewer begins to understand what the neo-Nazis think and feel. With the development of the image of the younger brother, in which the elder brother and his narrative about the fundamental changes in his worldview after being in prison played a decisive role, the viewer realizes that in reality they are organizations like the “Apostles of Christ”, which included the brothers. In the future, the result is also visible, to which Derek’s unbridled blind hatred leads, not even to detention, but to the consequences caused by him. Only in the final itself Derek realizes what deplorable results his example brought.
American History X is a movie that has not been awarded many nominations and awards, but is required to be watched.