Life is short, so why waste it on an emotion like hatred.

Rating: 8/10 (14 June 2011)

The 1998 film American History X is about a family that is torn apart by the roots of race hatred within America. This story focuses on Danny Vinyard (Edward Fulong) who is in a white supremacist group which his brother Derek (Edward Norton) had once led. In the movie, Danny had written an English paper on Mein Kampf and now has to redo the paper and write about Derek. He has to analyze and interpret the events that had surrounded Derek's incarceration and how it had impacted his view on life and his family. Through Danny's writing the audience learns that Derek was the leader of the group and had committed crimes of a racial nature throughout Los Angeles. Now, Derek had just finished serving a three year jail sentence for manslaughter, for when he shot, killed, and curb stomped some African American youths for stealing his father's truck. Throughout the story, as Danny writes his paper, he reflects on all the events that had led up to Derek's arrest. Such as the trashing of Archie's Ranch Market, the violence at dinner, and the treatment of his family. However, what Danny does not understand is that during Derek's time in prison he had made friends with an African American named Lamont (Guy Torry), and had acquired a new outlook on life. Danny does eventually learn of Derek's new found look on life and in turn he too decides to leave the cult behind in search for something better not only for him but for his family.
This movie had been brilliantly presented by the director Tony Kaye. Through the black and white flashbacks accessible throughout the story, the audience really gets to focus in on what is happening during the scenes, and are able to achieve a deeper sense of depth to the story. The lighting and angles used also had improved the visual perspective, which coupled with the use of the development of the characters to convey the message had greatly enhanced the movie as a whole. In the end, what the viewers are to take away from this movie is the fact that even though the story did not preach about it directly, it is about racism and the hatred that is created from it. The movie is closely related to another movie called In the Heat of the Night which also carries the themes of racism and murder. People should not allow the hatred to consume their lives and essentially destroy not only themselves but also their family. Life is short, so why waste it on an emotion like hatred.