Gripping, Powerful. Brilliant.

Rating: 9/10 (19 May 2011)

American History X is a film about an ex neo-Nazi Skinhead leader (Edward Norton) who has just served a three year prison sentence for murder. But he comes out of prison a changed reformed man and tries to stop his brother (Edward Furlong) going down the same violent path he did. This violent, powerful film shocked many audiences with its brutal truth of white supremacy groups in America.
The story is told brilliantly and keeps you feeling very unsettled throughout. The film often showed flashbacks revealing truths about main character Derek's past and how he ended up in prison. The flashbacks are shown in black and white, which I think works very well as it emphasises the darkness of his past. The film deals with some very violent shocking scenes that possibly aren't suitable for small children or in fact some adults. But I felt there needed to be strong violence as it wouldn't have had the same effect.
The directing, photography and acting I thought were all flawless. A film that really deserves a lot more credit than it received.