Editing American History X (section)

=== Legacy ===
In 1999, [[Amnesty International USA]] used ''American History X'' for an educational campaign, screening the film in colleges and in nationwide events for raising awareness on human rights.<ref name="ProductionNotes" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://krant.telegraaf.nl/krant/naslag/filmrecensies/film.990512americanhistory.html|title=Film: 'American History X'|website=krant.telegraaf.nl|access-date=2020-04-09|archive-date=2020-09-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200909192515/https://krant.telegraaf.nl/krant/naslag/filmrecensies/film.990512americanhistory.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Zara Toussaint, of Amnesty International in France, organized screenings in her country followed by debates. "The reactions [to the film] were varied. Some people thought that this was only an extreme case, that this kind of group was very marginal and that there could be no equivalent in France", she said.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web|url=https://www.humanite.fr/node/237909|title=Racisme et cinéma La plus grande des démocraties ?|last=Homer|first=Sébastien|date=2000-12-02|website=L'Humanité|language=fr|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200909192512/https://www.humanite.fr/node/237909|archive-date=2020-09-09|access-date=2020-04-09}}</ref> In response to the French screening, Sébastien Homer of ''[[L'Humanité]]'' wrote, "[[Police brutality|Police violence]], the Rodney King affair, unsanitary prisons, ill-treatment, rejection of [[asylum seeker]]s, the United States has still not assimilated what human rights, freedom, equality meant".<ref name=":7" /> In September 1999, ''[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]]'' magazine ranked the film 311th in a list of the 500 greatest movies of all time.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.empireonline.com/500/35.asp|title=Empire's 500 Greatest Movies of All Time|date=March 24, 2012|access-date=March 24, 2012|publisher=Empire Magazine|archive-date=October 19, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019215354/http://www.empireonline.com/500/35.asp|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2008, Norton's performance was ranked by ''[[Total Film]]'' as the 72nd greatest film performance of all time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.totalfilm.com/features/150-greatest-movie-performances-of-all-time-3/72-edward-norton-derek-vinyard-american-history-x-1998|title=150 Greatest Movie Performances of All Time |author= Total Film |date=December 11, 2008|work=[[Total Film]]|url-status=dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141022005954/http://www.totalfilm.com/features/150-greatest-movie-performances-of-all-time-3/72-edward-norton-derek-vinyard-american-history-x-1998 |archive-date= 2014-10-22|access-date= 2020-04-09 }}</ref> Although director Kaye did not watch the film until 2007, he has acknowledged that it has become "quite a little classic in its own befuddled way".<ref name=":4" /> In 2012, he said that he was "very proud of what we all achieved".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Humpty Dumpty: An Interview with Tony Kaye|url=https://www.mandatory.com/fun/185251-humpty-dumpty-an-interview-with-tony-kaye|last=Topel|first=Fred|date=2012-03-22|website=Mandatory|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180926114848/http://www.mandatory.com/fun/185251-humpty-dumpty-an-interview-with-tony-kaye|archive-date=2018-09-26|access-date=2020-05-03}}</ref>

For its 20th anniversary, [[Christopher Hooton]] writing for ''[[The Independent]]'' opined that the film "feels more essential now that it ever has".<ref name=":5" /> Clayton Schuster of [[Vice Media|''Vice'']] drew comparisons between the film and both the [[Racial views of Donald Trump|racial rhetoric]] of [[Donald Trump]] and real life atrocities; the murders of nine African-Americans in a [[Charleston church shooting|Charleston church]] in 2015, a [[Unite the Right rally|far-right march]] in [[Charlottesville, Virginia]] in 2017, and a year later, a mass shooting in a [[Pittsburgh synagogue shooting|Pittsburgh synagogue]]. He argues that these violent acts are no different to the hate represented in the movie, adding, "White supremacy has existed for centuries. It's lurked on the fringes of American power since the birth of this nation". He added "there is at least one notable difference ... The movie portrays skinheads as visually different ... They're suited up in boots with red laces, heads gleaming from a fresh shave, and tatted with [[Nazi symbolism|Nazi insignia]] and racist slogans. White supremacists today have largely adopted a policy of fitting into society rather than standing out".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/american-history-x-premiered-20-years-ago-but-its-more-relevant-than-ever/|title='American History X' Premiered 20 Years Ago, But It's More Relevant Than Ever|last=Schuster|first=Clayton|date=2018-10-31|website=Vice|access-date=2020-04-09|archive-date=2020-04-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429223446/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/43ekvq/american-history-x-premiered-20-years-ago-but-its-more-relevant-than-ever|url-status=live}}</ref> Writing for ''[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]'' magazine in 2018, Justin Kirkland stated that he believed that "Perhaps the reason that ''American History X'' still feels so relevant two decades after its release is because we haven't done enough for it not to be ... I'm afraid we're going to be writing about ''American History X'' forever. I'm afraid of what will happen if we don't".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a24410731/american-history-x-20th-anniversary/|title='American History X' Remains Tragically Relevant 20 Years Later|last=Kirkl|first=Justin|date=2018-10-30|website=Esquire|access-date=2020-04-09|archive-date=2018-12-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226044847/https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a24410731/american-history-x-20th-anniversary/|url-status=live}}</ref>