A study of the causes of racism.

Rating: 9/10 (21 October 2000)

Man is a territorial animal. He will defend his property, often to the death. People put up fences; countries put up borders; wars are fought over control of territory. Man can, for a variety of reasons, also be nomadic. When one group of people moves into the territory of another, there will be animosity: Scottish Protestants emigrated to Catholic Ulster; Jews emigrated to Palestine and turned part of it into Israel; Europeans emigrated to America and displaced the natives. Attempts are being made to achieve some sort of reconciliation in these cases but the bitterness and hatred, caused by past revenge, make success difficult. When animosity exists between different races, it is called racism but it is no different than when the two contending groups are of the same ethnic background, as with the Scots and the Irish: both Celtic. It only matters that the two groups perceive of themselves as different in some way, even in ways that others would consider insignificant. American History X is about the racism created when blacks moved into the white Venice Beach section of Los Angeles. Derek's father was murdered by blacks and he desires revenge. He joins a Neo-Nazi group and becomes a highly respected leader. His opportunity for revenge comes when three blacks attempt to steal his car; he viciously murders two of them. Lack of witnesses allows him to escape a murder conviction and he spends only a few years in jail. During that time, he becomes disillusioned with other Neo-Nazis in the prison and he leaves them, and their protection. Miraculously, the blacks leave him alone, because he has befriended one of them, partly because of the influence of a black teacher, whom Derek respects, and who is always working for reconciliation and partly because his black friend accepted him, right from the start. This friendship causes him to abandon his hatred of blacks and feel remorse for his acts. When released from prison, Derek finds that his younger brother, Danny, has become a member of the same Neo-Nazi group and Derek attempts to free him from their influence. However, past actions have already made tragic events inevitable. The film is very intense. It left me feeling emotionally exhausted but very glad to have seen it and wanting to see it again. The acting is superb; the writing is very powerful; the characters are well developed and we care deeply about what happens to these two brothers. The central premise of the film is that reconciliation, however difficult, might be possible, if we strive for it diligently and with understanding.