Watch this.

Rating: 9/10 (24 April 2018)

If the feel-good movie is a genre, then this is the epitome of the feel-bad genre. I've seen plenty of movies that contain scenes that make me cringe because of their content, and many of them are great movies. But none of them, not even the brutal realism throughout Babel disturbed me as much in a good way as American History X. The curb stomp scene is possibly the most intense scene in any movie. After you see the violence in this movie, it definitely makes you look at some action movies in a different light.
I would not call this one of my favorite movies, but it is definitely one of the best movies I've ever seen. No matter how little you've been affected by other movies, you will feel at least a little sick after watching this. However, I implore you to see it no matter who you are despite the disturbing levels of violence. There's a reason it's number 32 on the top 250, and that's because it's possibly the most insightful movie ever made.
Going into this movie, I had always thought that white supremacists were just idiots that had no real reason for their extreme racism. But I had my view changed by this movie. Derek and Danny Vinyard, while not terribly educated are both smart characters and their racism is not blind. As a matter of fact, it is seductive, persuasive, and even understandable. It was scary how much reason I found in Derek's arguments, but the scenes in which we see why he believes what he believes are so engaging to watch. Unlike most movies that portray racial issues, this one is hardly one-sided. While the white supremacists are the antagonists, the black characters are hardly shown as saints. True they don't commit any heinous acts of violence on screen, but they are still shown as criminals in about equal measure to the white characters. The point of the movie is not to build up or tear down one race or another, it's just to show that all the racial hatred is a mentality that, while it may be seductive, cannot lead to anything good.
It's a very emotional movie, which does not mean that it's all sad. Yes, it's mostly depressing in tone, but there are a few lighter and incredibly hopeful moments to balance it out. Because of the violence and rage and bleakness of the rest of the movie, scenes like Derek connecting with Lamont, and Derek and Danny tearing down the posters and pictures in their room are highlighted and are more uplifting.
In terms of technical skill, it's done very well. Ed Norton's performance is amazing, and everyone else in the movie does pretty well too. Tony Kaye does a great job directing, making some unconventional but effective shots, like the extreme close-ups in the dinner scene between Derek and his father. Even the little decision for Danny to keep unconsciously rubbing his newly bald head was, I thought, a really good choice. I read that the movie was originally only 87 minutes and was extended by Ed Norton. Knowing this, I can see where some of the extensions may have been made, and while they aren't entirely necessary, they are included to good effect.
If you are an American over the age of about 16 or 17, I would strongly recommend that you watch this, and probably watch it alone. You might not want to watch it again, but it is a very important movie that has a timeless theme about what hatred can do to an individual and a community. It does not directly comment on any of the racial problems that we face in our current state of affairs, but it is still pertinent to today's race related issues. It is understandable if you don't want to watch this, but there is not a good excuse not to. Overall Rating: 8.7/10.