by Rusty White
reviewed: 1999-04-06
| Director(s): |
Tony Kaye
|
| Movie rating: |
10/10 |
| DVD rating: |
7/10 |
| DVD Release Date: |
04/06/1999 |
| Running Time: |
119 minutes |
| Rating: |
R |
Distributor:
New Line Studios
List Price: $24.98
Running Time: 119 minutes
Special Features:
Widescreen anamorphic format.
Chapter selection.
Theatrical trailer.
Production notes.
3 deleted scenes.
11 cast and crew bios.
Video Format:
Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1)
Language Tracks:
English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
Subtitles:
English
Closed Captions:
Yes
Casing:
1-disc Keep Case
A powerful tale of bigotry, hate-mongering and redemption. Brutally honest with its subject
matter. As Derick Vineyard, Edward Norton delivers a chilling portrait of a young skinhead
whose eyes are opened after a stint in prison for killing two black men who tried to steal
his truck. Edward Furlong is Danny, Derick's younger brother who idolizes him. Derick must
try to show Danny that his path was wrong before Danny makes the same mistakes.
Tony Kaye directs David McKenna's script with unflinching realism. The film is in color and
black and white. The present day scenes are in color. The past is black and white. This choice
is far from gimmicky. The movie is beautifully filmed in stark realistic tones which suit the
subject perfectly.
The actors do wonders with McKenna's brilliant script. Edward Norton was deservedly nominated
for an Oscar. Edward Furlong is also quite good in a more subtle role. Stacy Keach is chilling
as the leader of the Nazi cell. Fairuza Balk plays Norton's sexy young Hate Ho. She nails the
part. You would swear she just stepped of the stage of a Jerry Springer show. Stop her before
she breeds more Nazi rats. Avery Brooks (TV's Spencer for Hire) is another standout in an
all-around excellent cast.
The real life counter-parts of these Nazi skinheads claim to worship God. Maybe they need to
read more of his word and less of "
The Turner Diaries." As a white male I can say they don't
speak for me.
Modern classic film. Excellent picture and sound. Good extras. Very close to being a perfect DVD.
Picture Quality: 10/10
Excellent use of black and white photography. The transfer to digital was impeccable. Great range of grays and shadows. The color photography was also excellent, but paled in comparison with the black and white. All around, and excellent picture. Stark and brutal, like the movie itself.
Sound Quality: 10/10
No loss of dialogue. Great soundtrack. The violence, especially the second killing committed by Derick, reverberates through the speakers and into you psyche. No noticeable distortion.
Easter Eggs:
No Easter Eggs Found on Disc.
Extra Features: 8/10
Very cool chapter selection menu. Easy to navigate. Good use of images and sounds from the film.
The trailer and production notes are good. The cast and crew bios and filmographies are quite
detailed.
There are three deleted scenes. One is about 5 minutes long, and is referred to in later dialogue
that remains in the film. I'm not sure why it was cut.
I really wish there had been a commentary track with this one. Some films are so important and
powerful that they need to documented for future generations. This is one of them. The reason
there is no director's commentary is because first time director Tony Kaye waged war against
this movie. He was denied a director's cut and he opposed the casting of Edward Norton in the
lead role. Mr. Kaye went so far as to petition the director's guild for an "Alan Smithee"
credit, but was denied because he refused to stop bad-mouthing the film. I find this amazing
considering the power of the film and the fact that Mr. Kaye was also the camera operater.
A must have DVD. This movie should be shown in high schools all over this land. Hitler is
dead. Let's keep it that way.
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