The Best Acting Ever Filmed. Coming from an actor and hardcore movie buff.

Rating: 10/10 (18 August 2014)

I am an actor, as well as a film fanatic. I have seen them all from De Niro in Taxi Driver to Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs. None, and I mean none of these performances are quite as good as Edward Norton in this. This movie is about Norton who is a reformed skinhead who tries to prevent his little brother (Furlong) from following in his footsteps. One thing great is how big of a shock Norton was. Norton is a geek: his name, face and voice are all proof. But he is far from a geek in this. There are 3 Nortons: a nice high school kid, a monstrous neo-Nazi and reformed gentleman, all of which he does so convincingly with such passion that connects deep within the viewer's soul. The kid he plays is so nice and innocent. The monster he plays is so angry, frustrated and full of boiling hatred. This stage is the most intense acting I have ever seen too. The anger, intensity and apathy can make the viewers very uncomfortable. Yet, he is so well developed that you have no choice but to sympathize him. An actor has done a job well done if he can push the buttons of a viewer. The reformed man he plays is heroic and so philosophical that the viewer will love him. What really sets this performance apart are the transitions from his character's stages. It is during the transition that where the themes of the story are shown. Sure he is only briefly a regular high school kid, but going from a racist monster to someone reformed was so perfect. It is done in such a smooth and gradual flow that is unlike any other chemistry for a single character. Other great pieces of chemistry for a single character don't flow at a gradual pace like this.
I think that this is one of the greatest movies in history that deserves high ranking on many lists. The acting by Norton is better than everybody else's, and it also has a strong delivery of an important message. These kinds of movies have the biggest impacts on viewers. I found this to be the 90's version of Raging Bull. Both contain intense acting be the main characters who are fuelled by extreme anger and personal demons who find out that hate is wrong and a waste of time. What makes this better is Norton's performance and the message being clearer.
4/4