Haunting albeit Unrealistic

Rating: 7/10 (22 July 2008)

Tony Kaye offers a dramatic film in the form of American History X, on the topic of racism, presented through the marginalized perspectives of Neo-Nazi nationalists. The story centers upon a bright, intelligent man Derek Vinyard, played by Edward Norton, who unyieldingly displays his hate and disgust for other races. He and his group of friends repeatedly make life difficult for other races living in the area. Their actions finally climax when Derek goes too far and has to serve time in prison, leaving his younger brother, Danny Vinyard, played by Edward Furlong, to the will of the Neo-Nazi group. The story is powerful and features ups and downs in the characters that add an air of humanity to these otherwise inhumane Neo-Nazi racists. The characters, for the most part, are grotesque and in certain cases, utmost embodiments of our own insecurities towards different cultures and lifestyles, initiating inner turmoil sometimes. The film sometimes plays off these fears a little too much and does not offer them in a more objective and subtle way.
The film takes place in a surreal setting where there is constant conflict between differing races. The focus here is on tensions between the Neo-Nazis and African-Americans living in the same neighborhood, and at times the film tends to become a little one-sided. It feels like some of the targets of Derek's horrific actions are simply victims, when in the grand scheme of things, they likely harbor similar feelings towards Derek's group and commit similar actions in retribution. Moreover, Derek's transformation in prison is brushed over rather quickly and uses one or two powerful scenes to imply a lifetime of change. It doesn't really work honestly and the film loses a lot of its credibility there.
The acting here is decent with Edward Norton standing head and shoulders above the rest of the cast. Danny Vinyard, despite arguably being the main character, seems like he's missing in certain scenes when Norton simply takes over. Edward Furlong does look the part but he doesn't act the part extremely well. Having said that, he does a decent enough job to propel the film forward, even with his annoying monologues that lack any spirit. The rest of the cast does well with what its given with Ethan Suplee playing Derek's leach-like and terrifying friend. Even William Russ makes a strong guest appearance in a flashback sequence that explains many of the present scenarios.
The visual style is interesting here with color scenes meant to represent Derek's changed lifestyle in the present, and stark black-and-white shots used in flashback sequences to juxtapose the two races against one another. The idea, while pretty good on paper, ends up coming on a little too strong in the film, and does end up hurting the film, even though it tries to add depth. There are several haunting scenes here that the camera crew has taken from the script and captured well in film. The score is mostly two-sided, using dark and low notes for the past, and higher pitched notes to indicate a possible, brighter future. It works pretty well but like the difference in color and black-and-white, it sometimes goes for too much, especially towards the end of the film.
American History X is a film about racism that is meant to inspire disgust for those portrayed on screen but also perhaps in ourselves when we sometimes shelter similar feelings. The film is literally a little too black and white, offering little gray space between, on the topic of racism. Unfortunately, certain things aren't always as simple as the film makes them out to be and Derek's transformation is both too unrealistic and short. Edward Norton does an incredible job here but the rest of the cast members, with a few exceptions, suffer greatly, and consequently, so does the film. Overall, the film sends out a powerful message, using powerful camera shots and characters to deliver it to the audience. It is grisly and gritty at times, giving us an extreme and bitter taste of Neo-Nazi racism. However, the film has too many flaws in its execution for it to be considered a classic of 90's cinema.