Review of American History X

Introduction

A little bit of "history" in the making right here for you, this being my first review at DVDR. So, the era of coolocity begins....

All that aside, here`s what I thought of one of the strongest movies of the past decade, American History X.

I first caught American History X on Sky Premier sometime in the fall of last year, and instantly became an avid fan. I had never actually heard anything of this movie whatsoever, so I had zero knowledge and expectations, but I approached with an open-mind regardless. What I got was an amazing portrayal of the modern day conflict between different races & their cultures, this lead not only to a very enthralling experience, but also an educational one in many respects.

So I went out and purchased the region 2 DVD version. Although I didn`t have high hopes (based on what I`d read & heard), I was happy enough that the disc would tide me over until the inevitable release of a more definitive version.

Does it make the cut? Here`s what I know.

Video

Comes in the format of 16:9 anamorphic widescreen. Exceptional quality, free of any flaws. This really is a visual feast to some extent.

The movie often reverts to black & white, but this does nothing but add to the overall desired effect it sets out to deliver.

No problems with this aspect of the disc at all.

Audio

This bad boy descends through our speakers in Dolby Digital 5.1. Sound is crisp and clear, thus allowing us to follow the terrific dialogue in the movie with ease.

Features

Not much to write about here. Although the disc is equipped with a few nice deleted scenes. One of them which involves the attack on an old African American lady by some white juveniles, a sad scene which seemingly didn`t contribute to the Vinyard story, that`s why it was cut I assume.

Also a US theatrical trailer, as well as a bunch of cast & crew biographies are included.

Conclusion

American History X is a very stereotypical movie that conveys the effects of racism in such a way that we can all relate to, and should be seen by everybody and not just movie buffs. So many emotions are experienced when viewing this masterpiece, and it`s something that will linger in your mind for weeks. It really is a milestone in cinema, and it`s no surprise that it spawned a Hollywood star in Edward Norton and further increased the reputation of Furlong.

If I did have any problems at all with this flick, it would be the fact that the African Americans seem to come off as the "bad guys" here, or maybe I`m just being moronic.

This is an amazing movie, and I can also confidently say that the disc is solid in all areas, especially the sound & audio quality, which can only be described as lush.

There`s only one thing that makes me classify this disc as great instead of exceptional, and that`s the lack of extras on offer. A movie of this calibre deserves a lot more. But there`s still enough here to justify me recommending this as a purchase.

Well worth a look.