Guess Hoods Coming to bleeping Dinner?

Rating: Null/10 (11 June 1999)

American History X is a great film... a great film to use as a means to distinguish between people who know what they're talking about when it comes to film, and those that only pretend. This is not a terrible film by any means. However, when a director takes on a meaty subject matter, it is maddening when he has nothing to say. I prefer to believe that Kaye and co. merely bowed to pressure in the way this film caved, but judging from the gritty jailrape and foul language I have to believe that they simply weren't up to the task. What begins as an interesting look into neo-nazism ends up to be about as enlightening experience as a Disney film. Imagine "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" with full frontal nudity and racist obscenity. Those who believe this to be a great film need to see more films. I'd rather see someone reach for the moon and fail than reach for a beer and succeed, but to begin that reach and fail through lack of commitment is, like this film, merely pathetic.