A series of cliches

Rating: 1/10 (17 April 1999)

I found it hard to enjoy this film due to the overuse of tacky advertising techniques like slow motion (that were too slow), black and white for the flashbacks and general obvious editing and camera work - like when he has been raped in the shower and is lying on the floor. We see a close up of his Nazi Swastika (as if to hammer home the obvious point). This film tries to be poetic but doesn't succeed. After leaving the cinema, I had forgotten everything. This film doesn't even get close to a film such as The Haine, which had a much stronger build up of characters and story, and leaves a significant impact on the viewer, who can identify with the characters. They seem real. In American History X even the characters seem like cliches picked out from other films.