Many people consider the 1998 film AMERICAN HISTORY X to be a classic. I happen to be one of those people. Emotional, powerful, provoking, and featuring possibly Edward Norton’s most affecting performance of his career to date, the film stirred a slew of controversy when released, not just because of its subject matter, but because of the conflict with director Tony Kaye and…well, everyone involved in the production.
After Tony Kaye recut an approved version of the film to make something that nobody seemed to vibe with, Norton took over the final edit of the film, causing Kaye to revolt and fight to have his name either removed from the film or substituted with the name “Humpty Dumpty.” Quite a tussle over a film that came out so amazing.
Kaye had been one of the most promising directors on the market and seemingly faded into obscurity, directing the documentary LAKE OF FIRE and another film, BLACK WATER TRANSIT, which is languishing in post production hell somewhere. However, Kaye seemed to rally and pull it together enough to direct DETACHMENT, starring Adrian Brody as a substitute teacher going from one inner-city school to another.
The pic features an impressive cast, with Bryan Cranston, Tim Blake Nelson, Christina Hendricks, Marcia Gay Harden, Lucy Liu, William L. Peterson and James Caan. Check out the new official trailer below:
The film played at the Tribecca film festival and is generating a good amount of buzz, both good and bad. Personally, I think it looks intriguing. There’s something about Kaye’s raw shooting style that I really dig and the cast is simply amazing. I don’t fall for every independent release that comes my way, but this is something I’ll definitely check out, if for no other reason just to see if Tony Kaye was a flash in the pan or the real deal.
DETACHMENT hits iTunes on February 24th and will show in limited release starting March 16th.