Making American History X was as dark as the film itself

Video Description

American History X was one of the most controversial films of 1998, tackling the delicate subject of neo-Nazism and featuring brutally intense scenes. But if you thought the movie itself was controversial, you have no idea what happened behind the scenes. On one side, a rising star with an oversized ego. On the other, a rebellious but brilliant director. They didn’t get along during filming—but things truly spiraled out of control in post-production, when each of them fought to make a completely different movie. This is the story of clashing egos, outrageous statements, chaotic production meetings, and careers left in ruins. 00:00 - Intro 00:33 - The Rising Star 01:46 - An Autobiographical Script 02:56 - A Risky Project 03:57 - The Most Unexpected Director 06:38 - The Perfect Actor 08:20 - An Intense Film, An Intense Shoot 10:49 - The Battle for the Final Cut 15:12 - A controversial release 16:59 - What happened to those behind it? American History X is a 1998 American crime drama film directed by Tony Kaye (in his feature directorial debut) and written by David McKenna. The film stars Edward Norton and Edward Furlong as two brothers from Los Angeles who are involved in the white power skinhead and neo-Nazi movements. The older brother (Norton) serves three years in prison for voluntary manslaughter, is rehabilitated during this time, and then tries to prevent his brother (Furlong) from being indoctrinated further. The supporting cast includes Fairuza Balk, Stacy Keach, Elliott Gould, Avery Brooks, Ethan Suplee and Beverly D'Angelo. McKenna wrote the script based on his own childhood and experiences of growing up in San Diego. He sold the script to New Line Cinema, which was impressed by the writing. American History X was Kaye's first directorial role in a feature film. Budgeted at $20 million, filming took place in 1997. Before the film's release, Kaye and New Line Cinema were in disagreements about the final cut of the film, which Norton had played a pivotal role in conceiving. The final version was longer than Kaye intended, which resulted in him publicly disowning the film, thus negatively affecting his directing career. Distributed by New Line Cinema, the film was released in the United States on October 30, 1998 in limited theaters and received a wide theatrical release on November 20, 1998, grossing $23.9 million against a $20 million budget. American History X was critically praised, with Norton and Furlong's performances and the film's message drawing acclaim. Norton received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. The film has also been used for educational purposes in the United States and in other countries. A follow-up, African History Y, with Kaye returning as director and starring Djimon Hounsou, was in active development as of 2020.