dankrsta

Watch The Believer and Romper Stomper. They're way better than American History X.

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Janszoon

If American History X is Norton's last memorable performance, why are you saying that a later one of his performances was better than it?

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A Night in the Life of the Invisible Man

Time & Place

25 Albums You Should Hear Before the Moon Crashes into the Earth and We All Die

last.fm

Dirty

I somehow doubt that, but I'll look them up and try to watch them sometime, thanks!

TheCunningStunt

Realistic fashion? Neo-Nazi changing his entire belief system and assessing his values because he went to prison and shared a smile with a black man.
If only ever racist in real life could share a moment with a black guy...
It just wasn't realistic at all. But aside from that, films don't have to be realistic.

So you're not a fan of things portrayed in an unrealistic way?
One of the biggest artistic movements - surrealism.. wouldn't be one you'd like then.
Fight Club is extremely philosophical, it shows the anger and frustrations of living in a consumer society, it shows the duality inside of the narrator (expressed through Tyler) it shows things you wish you could do, but can't. And if you're displaying something like that, then it isn't going to be realistic. Exploring philosophical ideas is something you can't do in a completely realistic way, nor do you need to. It's an artform, it does NOT have to be like every day life.

Besides the idea of a load of grown men starting an underground fight club can't be totally impossible, as it actually happened because of the film...


Because I always thought American History X was late 1999, it was 1998.
Besides, his last good performance was in 25th Hour - despite him being quite bad in the 00s.

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Last FM

Dirty

You should take your own advice and rewatch the movie. You're either trying to over simplify it because you are trying to make an argument (and make American History X look as bad as possible) or you just really don't remember the movie. Especially if that's all you think happened.

Obviously films don't have to be realistic, I just prefer them.

TheCunningStunt

I'm not trying to make it look as bad as possible, since I've already said I like the film.

It was just a 'racism is bad' film, entertaining but not particularly thought provoking.

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Last FM

Dirty

That's just the way it seemed. Like I said, maybe you just don't remember well or weren't really watching the movie all that closely. Because to simplify it and say a Neo-Nazi changed his entire thought process because of befriending a black man is really leaving out other things that led to his eventual change.

TheCunningStunt

Yes I was watching the movie closely, I don't watch them and say stupid things like "oh, it wasn't very realistic so I don't like it that much"

I remember what I thought about the film when I watched it.
Surprisingly, re-watching a film I didn't find all that good isn't high up on my priorities. So I'll get round to watching it when I'm good and ready, I don't feel it's essential I rewatch it because I remember enough about it to have a valid opinion.
If I remember rightly his father was a racist, he picked up his ideals and was part of a gang, killed 2 black men who tried to break in his house, went to prison, befriended a black guy, didn't shy away from his friendship with the black guy, got raped in the showers because of that. Got out of prison, tried to stop his brother from going down the same path. - I really don't need to watch it again because I "don't remember it well or wasn't really watching the movie all that closely."

The message of the film: racism is bad.
You're telling me it has more depth to it, but you're not exactly explaining what depth it has? You just explained the plot "a movie telling a story of how race has influenced the lives of these two people" - I think I gathered that much.

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Last FM

Dirty

So it's stupid to have a preference of realistic movies over non-realistic ones? preferences are stupid? Speaking of stupid comments...

You brought up the rewatching of the movie so please keep that in mind before trying to be a smartass about it.

jackhammer

Agreed and to a lesser extent Alan Clarke's The Firm.

I would really like to see AHX director Tony Kaye's original version for the film as Norton (as he has been known to do a lot) took over the editing of the film which means that the original directors version may well have been eminently more watchable.

As Dankstra says though The Believer is so much better and a lot more subtler with a much smaller budget and has a much more believable story arc.

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