The film that brought up the issue that can't be ignored

Rating: Null/10 (26 August 2001)

Ed Norton has his shining achievement in the ground-breaking drama AMERICAN HISTORY X. Norton plays Derek Vinyard, a onetime racist
skinhead so consumed of hate and rage over minorities, that, after killing two African-American hoods, serves time for his crime. But
while in the joint, Derek sees the light, and he vows to change his ways, and likewise for his kid brother Danny (Eddie Furlong). Danny himself is a skinhead, and he embraced the evils of racism himself,
until Derek decides to do whatever it takes to get his brother out of the abyss. Though you would despise him at first (especially during his flashbacked scenes where Derek would lecture about how "the white man is being ripped-off"), Norton amazingly transforms his character into good, realizing that everything he has done is wrong. Furlong also does a great job having that personal tug-of-war between his
love and admiration towards Derek, and his pride in racism. AMERICAN HISTORY X proves to be a good lesson in ethics and morality; sure, it basically feeds off the emotions of viewers, no matter what he or she thinks about our ever-changing society. But it works on getting the message through for sure.