Understanding why Tony Kaye disowned ‘American History X’
Aside from his starring role in David Fincher’s explosive crime movie Fight Club, arguably, actor Edward Norton has never been better than his performance in Tony Kaye’s violent drama American History X. Beside supporting actors Edward Furlong, Beverly D’Angelo, Ethan Suplee and Elliott Gould, Norton provides a stellar performance as Derek, a former neo-nazi skinhead who tries to prevent his younger brother from following a similar path in life.
A brutal drama, American History X has become a fan favourite 24 years after its release, with movie lovers passionately defending the bold and explicit directorial choices of Kaye, as well as Norton’s Oscar-nominated performance. So why is it that the director went through a period of despising the very film that led him to further industry success, helming Black Water Transit in 2009 and the award-winning Adrien Brody drama Detachment two years later?
It all goes back to when Kaye was forced to edit down the movie after New Line Cinema insisted on further adjustments. Mortified, Kaye stated: “I’m fully aware that I’m a first-time director, but I need the same autonomy and respect that Stanley Kubrick gets,” as reported by The Telegraph, before agreeing to the demands, with Edward Norton also coming onboard to help the filmmaker edit the film down.
Soon after, the studio test-screened a new cut of the film, which included unique changes made only by Norton. Loving the cut, the studio tried to convince Kaye to release the cut, but he wasn’t too happy, seeing the new version as wildly different from his, objecting to the addition of 18 new minutes. As a result of the director’s frustration, the studio allowed him eight further weeks to submit a new cut.
During this time, Kaye truly expressed his annoyance, spending $100,000 on advertisements in the Hollywood press where he condemned the behind-the-scenes actions of his lead star, Edward Norton. Though the film was supposed to premiere at the 1998 Toronto International Film Festival, Kaye demanded that it be withdrawn. Indeed, after the eight-week deadline, the studio announced that it would release Norton’s cut after Kaye offered no alternative.
Fuming, Kaye tried to remove his name from the credits and also tried to mess with the studio by applying for various pseudonyms, including ‘Humpty Dumpty’. Kaye filed a $200 million lawsuit against New Line Cinema as a last resort, and the director disowned the film. At the time, the filmmaker described the movie’s theatrical version as a “total abuse of creativity…crammed with shots of everyone crying in each other’s arms,” being 24 minutes longer than his own cut.
Refusing to even watch the film until 2007, Kaye now has a slightly different view of American History X, admitting to the Chicago Tribune: “My ego got in the way. That was entirely my fault. […] Whenever I can, I take the opportunity to apologise”.
Let’s hope the director can now enjoy the film and the lead performance of Edward Norton in one of his greatest ever roles, as so many fans across the globe do.
