Blu-ray reviews
Needle
"...a solid scare-fest..."
Arena
“…suffers predominantly from its lackluster script and muddled direction.”
Treme: Season 1
"...an exquisitely made and powerful drama."
Ray
“Undoubtedly, the film belongs to Jamie Foxx, who tackles the role with uncommon obsession.”
search the site
newsletter
Enter your email address below to receive the weekly Filmink newsletter
American History X (Blu-ray)
Year:
Rating: MA
Distributor: Warner
The Disc: 4.0
FILMINK rates DVDs and Blu-rays out of 5
American History X is about the ease with which people can become consumed by xenophobia, ignorance and racism. Cleverly jumping between the past and present, we see the story of Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton), an intelligent, brutal and highly charismatic skinhead who is jailed for the unspeakably horrible murders of two black men. While in jail, Derek learns harsh lessons about the reality of things, and comes out a changed man. Unfortunately, the legacy that he left behind has spread like a cancer, infecting his younger brother, Danny (Edward Furlong), and - by extension - his whole family. There's a lot more to the story, including genuinely scary glimpses into the life of a skinhead but, unlike the similarly themed Romper Stomper (a great film, but much more visceral), American History X deals with ideas and ideals, and how both can be twisted and warped to the point where bigotry is born. Much more effective than the heavy-handed, didactic and overrated Crash (2004), American History X is a stunning movie, with Norton's performance utterly mesmerising. The Blu-ray's image and audio are excellent, and though there aren't many extras, there is a clutch of lengthy and fascinating "additional scenes" that could have changed the entire tone of the film. American History X is an emotional powerhouse of a movie, and will stick with you long after the credits roll.