American History X [Blu-ray]
Starring: Edward Norton, Edward Furlong, Beverly D'Angelo, Avery Brooks, Jennifer LienDirector: Tony Kaye
Studio: New Line Home Video
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
Running Time: 119 minutes
DVD Release: April 7th 2009
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DVD Review
Derek Vinyard is dangerous, a coiled fury of hate who leads a neo-Nazi gang. But time and events start to change him. He reassesses his ways while doing time for manslaughter and emerges from prison eager to keep his younger brother (Edward Furlong) from falling victim to the thug cycle of violence and payback. It may be too late. Weaving in and out of events past and present in Dereks life, American History X is revealing in its look at white-supremacist gangs and impassioned in its message that hatred and bigotry can be unlearned. Edward Norton (Fight Club, Pride and Glory) portrays Derek, giving a powerful, persuasive, Oscar®-nominated* performance.
User Reviews
american history x blu-ray - Rating: 5/5
love this movie, looks amazing on blu-ray and the audio is outstanding, if you love this movie enjoy it on blu-ray you wont be let down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great movie: decent blu ray - Rating: 4/5
Anyone considering buying this on blu ray already knows how great a movie it is. So I'll just say the video quality is decent but won't blow you away. With little in the way of bonus content, it is still a decent buy for the price. Buy this if you don't own the dvd, but consider holding off for a special edition if you already own it on dvd.
Sitting In Awe Of Norton's Performance And The Film's Message... - Rating: 5/5
AMERICAN HISTORY X is so powerful, so engrossing, so well-acted, that I sat in silence for some time after the last credit rolled past. The message of hate and how it affects generations is something so true and ingrained in our culture that it often defies logic. And so goes this film...
Based on the true-life story of a white supremacist, Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton, The Painted Veil), the story leads us down a path many would probably not rather see, but must see in order to understand what hateful ignorance lay in wait in America (and beyond).
After killing some black men trying to break into his car, Derek is sent to prison for several years, leaving his family to fend for themselves. Most notable is impressionistic brother Danny (Edward Furlong) who practically worships brother Derek. In high school, Danny taunts students of color and creates a few enemies that will ultimately be his undoing.
Trying to save both Derek and Danny is high school principal Bob Sweeney (Avery Brooks), a black man on a mission to salvage the men from hatred (a great role for Brooks, too, second only to Norton's amazing performance).
In prison, Derek learns a humbling lesson: those that are supposed to be your friends can be your worst enemies, and true friends can be color-blind. Derek becomes friends with an unlikely laundry buddy ...who happens to be black. The two form a bond based on trust and understanding, and a love for sports talk. Derek is surprised when he actually survives his prison term, only to learn that his survival was helped along by his friend of color. Derek has awakened to his loss of hatred of colored people (and Jews), and realizes that he has to try and save brother Danny from a similar fate.
But can he...
Edging his way back into the family, Derek distances himself from his disturbing past, but will it be in time to save his beloved skinhead brother?
Without a doubt, the film's ending can be viewed as fatalistic. We don't know what Derek is going to do but we are left with an inkling of hope that he'll stay true on his new path. Whether he would or not is left up to the audience to decide.
Which is why I remained sitting, staring at a black screen after the credits finished rolling. I wanted to see my hopeful thoughts come true; to see Derek rise up and defeat his demons. I didn't want to see what `might' happen.
I hope...
An incredibly powerful performance by Norton and an even more powerful message of (possible) redemption ...with a terrible cost.
American History X - Blu-ray Info - Rating: 3/5
Version: U.S.A / Warner - New Line / Region Free
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
VC-1 BD-50 / Advanced Profile 3 / AACS
Running time: 1:58:53
Movie size: 28,71 GB
Disc size: 29,37 GB
Total bit rate: 32.21 Mbps
Average video bit rate: 27.08 Mbps
Dolby TrueHD Audio English 1530 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1530 kbps / 16-bit (AC3 Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps)
Dolby Digital Audio English 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps
Subtitles: English SDH / Spanish
Number of chapters: 33
#3 Deleted Scenes (HD - 6m:54s)
#Trailer (HD - 2m:29s)
Garbage and propaganda - Rating: 1/5
Forced by a sociology professor to watch this film, I left the class room with a feeling of both disgust and anger not only at the waste of my own personal time but the fact that we were being indocterinated with this garbage. This film is a melodrama without the music, presenting a grotesque and pessimistic view of mankind in general (virtually every character in the film is a racist hate filled beast) and a gross exageration of tension between races (yes, yes we all know that racial harmony is an impossibility so long as whites exist yada yada yada). This film's attempts to demonize white people are offensive even to a minority like myself. For someone who attends a mutli racial school in a multi racial city I must ask myself how we can get through a 50 minute class without gunshots being fired between the blacks and whites. Or perhaps we should really be wondering why in that same classroom where racial harmony takes place in reality we're forced to watch paid actors doing the exact opposite in fairy tale land.
Its bogus message aside, its not even entertaining. Constant profanity and constant hate are things people try to avoid in real life and make for a dull and predictable watch.
Overall I can only hope no one is ever forced to watch this film again.
