American History X (1998) First Time Watching! Full Movie Reaction!!

As depressing as this movie was when I first saw it at 13, it’s even more depressing that this has gotten worse instead of better at 37.

Jeremy Garner

You could have left a simple comment about the film without making it political.

Man, I just watched that on Paramount+. Great flick.

Philip Davetas

I watched this back in the day. This movie is tough. Partly because, I don't know any part of LA that's got a sect like this. I mean, I supposed it exists, but I was born and raised there and I've never seen anyone act like this or was a part of this type of clique. The other thing is Tony Kaye tried to have his name removed from this flick because it was changed from what he wanted to do. Edward Norton was at a weird stage in his career that he shoehorned his way into movies and scripts to have his way, but wound up making the movie more confusing and mixed up. There's a documentary called WHO IS ALAN SMITHEE? which came out around the time this flick was released. When a director wants to Alan Smithee himself it's because he wants his name taken off the credits. David Lynch tried that with DUNE. Walter Hill tried that with SUPERNOVA. Unfortunately, this Alan Smithee thing got so commonplace that they added new names like Tommy Lee. AMERICAN HISTORY X was one of those movies that the director tried to Alan Smithee. But the Powers that Be deemed there was enough of his style in the movie that they left his name on the credits. But that WHO IS ALAN SMITHEE? doc is well worth a watch. However, what's going on now, is a hot fucking mess. This was a fantasy flick, but today it's more and more of a reality. So fucking gross. I don't mean anything about you guys. Just this flick. I don't think this is a flick everyone needs to see because I agree with Sam. No one is born hating. Most people aren't like this. But these people do exist somewhere especially in this trump world. trump is never capitalized whenever I type that.

Philip Davetas

Anyone else have "Jackass Forever" recommended to them at the end of the movie?

Lük

Yup. I guess we all heard some variation of that lie growing up. I too was taught by adults in my life that racism was a specific type of person doing a specific type of thing and those specific types of people were getting old and dying off. It was only way later that I realized how that was a convenient way for adults back then to absolve themselves of any responsibility for their own racism. Of course, the ripple effect of that lie affected us...we grew up confused about what racism is and how it could manifest itself. And like a credit card with skyrocketing interest and unpaid debts, here we are today.

Elisa Pfau

Calling it a product of its time is spot on. I was the target demographic for this film because I was around 14 years old when it was released and I probably rented it a year or so later. I think there was this idea that racism would steadily decline over time because the old bigots were dying and “the kids” were going to be more progressive and we’d enter a post-racial society. Racism was thought of like smoking. It was something almost everyone did back in the day, but now that people know how harmful it is, less and less people will do racism and it’ll be relegated to poor backwards people who don’t know any better. So pretty much the image smoking gained.

Jeffrey Miller

I agree, Jeffrey. American History X is a product of its time, I think. I found it kind of interesting to watch this film again because this time around, I really noticed how the script reveals the types of dead-ends that conversations about racism ran into during the 90s/00s. This film had the potential for INCREDIBLE staying power but it fell short of being that movie for me, mostly because it failed to examine racism in an introspective way. The screenwriter absolutely nailed showcasing rabid racism (all the disgusting acts and rhetoric are depressingly prescient), but when it came to actually understanding and exploring racism and how one interrogates and learns to shed their own racism, it left me unconvinced. These are some things I wish had been handled differently or better: there could have been more to Lamont's character instead of being a device for Derek's growth, there could have been more meaningful conversations alongside the lighthearted ones between Derek and Lamont, and there really ought to have been more time spent on Derek's memories of his father. I could imagine a really powerful scene between Derek and Lamont where they reminisce about moments in their youth and maybe about their fathers. I wish Derek had a scene in the film where he reflects on early memories with his father, what he had been taught by him, and WHY the racism his father had taught him to identify with had lost its power and allure during his time in prison. I think getting closure regarding his father's death and finding a way to alleviate the deep pain he was holding in his heart from losing him would have been powerful. If there is one single antidote I think this film sorely needed, it is "The Price of the Ticket" by James Baldwin. This is a movie where I wish the screenwriter had read JB's essays and incorporated elements from those essays into this film. If the screenwriter had done that, I think AHX could have been a groundbreaking meditation on American racism and been an all time great film. Elements of it are great--not least of which is Edward Norton, who turned in one absolute hell of a performance--but yeah, it is an incomplete film in crucial ways.

Elisa Pfau

Such a powerful film and definitely one that everyone needs to see, despite some flaws and things that could and should have been better. I remember my teacher showing it to me in the 8th grade, I was shook and couldn't hold back the tears at the end. Edward Norton is arguably the most talented actor of his generation. He got robbed of an Oscar for this and Primal Fear, that's twice in 3 years. Pretty incredible when looking back at it. He's also someone who's earned a reputation for being tough to work with, and very demanding, especially when it comes to creative control. In this case, we should all be happy that he was like that. The original ending was supposed to take place back at the family's home, where the police are talking to the mom, and then we see Derek in the bathroom shaving his head, strongly suggesting that the cycle of hate and racism was just going to continue. Norton however talked the director Tony Kaye into changing it to this ending, because the original one would've totally undermined the message of the film. Safe to say, that's one of the greatest decisions in recent history. A very important part about the ending, which people sometimes overlook, is when Derek is cradling Danny's body, he says: "What did I do"? That's such an important line. Derek realizes immediately that he is responsible for what has happened to his brother. He's not going to try and pin the blame on anyone else, not the blacks and not the skinheads. He has to live with the guilt for the rest of his life, because of HIS decisions. Thank you for putting it on the poll, and thank you to the majority who voted for it.

Shehab Dawoud

That's actually one of my complaints about the movie. The black kid killing Danny seems thrown it so uncomfortable white people can say "See! They can be racist, too!" It's like, yes, in high school there is sometimes racial tension between the students, but it feels like the movie is implicitly saying that this is somehow comparable to an organized white supremacist movement spreading fascist ideology.

Jeffrey Miller

I used to know a guy who was a Neo-Nazi and I was surprised to find this movie among his rather small film collection. I asked him why he liked it so much when it’s basically a film essay against his entire ideology and he said because of the ending, Danny’s death in the bathroom at the hands of the black student justifies his white supremacist beliefs. I was stunned and speechless. These people are nuts.

Nick of Time

This is a film that I remember really liking when I first saw it as a teenager, but after many years and a few more viewings it's lost a lot of it's shine for me. I don't think it's a bad movie, but it's definitely not as profound or insightful as I think it was first made out to be. I'm not going to give a detailed explanation, but I think it oversimplifies racism a bit much, but again, it's not a bad movie. Edit: Wait, I just remembered a (hopefully) non-controversial critique I have of the movie. Derek talks about how Sweeney helped him realize racism was bad. I really wanted to know what books Derek read and the conversations he had with Sweeney. We never get to see Derek interrogate his beliefs and realize why they were wrong besides the fact we all know racism is bad. Instead it kinda gets boiled down to Derek making friends with the black guy he worked with and that's all it took for him to not be a fascist anymore.

Jeffrey Miller

When I first saw this as a kid I never even recognized that it was Edward Norton because of acting.

PIG

Danny is the same actor who played John Connor in Terminator 2, for some cool trivia. This movie never gets easier with each re-watch. Just powerful and phenomenal acting. Edward Norton was just relentless in this film.

EdmanXERO

Was gonna type the same thing lol

PIG

If you'll notice, Edward Norton always plays a crazy guy in some form or fashion. I can't remember what all of his you haven't seen so I won't make a list. Lol

ShadowVessel π

American History X and Raising Arizona in the same day...? You guys like me. You really, really like me!

Steve Mercier

Such a Great Performance from Edward Norton .. For me he deserves two Oscars for "Primal Fear" and this one ;) Can't Wait to see your Reaction

Florian Meier

oh snap! hellzyeahh

Tee Grant

This movie is a tough one

Wyatt Nuxoll