Would be a great movie if not for the awful ending

Rating: 7/10 (19 April 2005)

American HISTORY X is, in general, an excellent movie. The screenplay, performances and direction are all first rate. Unfortunately, the movie jumps its track in its final moments, with an ending that, when one thinks about it, negates the entire movie! SPOILER ALERT!!! The moment I saw Edward Furlong appear on screen, I knew he would be dead by the end of the movie. I knew this movie couldn't possibly have a happy ending, or even a remotely uplifting one. I also figured out that the young black kid with whom Furlong had a run-in would be the one to kill him.
My problem is, what's the point of the movie with this ending? I thought the movie was about redemption and enlightenment. But it seems to me that the message of the movie is that redemption and enlightenment are either impossible or useless. By the time you realize the error of your ways, it will undoubtedly be too late.
Also, the fact that Furlong is killed by a black kid whom he attempted to intimidate doesn't sit well with me. What are the filmmakers saying? Racism will turn a white kid into an angry delinquent, but will turn a black kid into a murderer? That's a real positive message to get people to question the stereotype of all young black men as gun wielding gang members.
I'll praise this movie with a 7 out of 10, because I think the bulk of the movie is excellent. But the handling of the ending is sloppy, lazy and, yes, racist storytelling. I agree Edward Norton's character had to pay for his sins, but the way in which they have it happen practically affirms his Neo-Nazi beliefs.
I have a feeling that's NOT the message the filmmakers wanted to convey.