Very Good Film

Rating: 9/10 (12 February 2000)

One word comes to mind after seeing this film: potential. This film could have been even greater than it was, but probably thanks to production squabbles, it wasn't. The black-and-white sequences were superb and very well done. In comparison, the present time sequences are poor but still well done. Even though the acting in the film was excellent, a lot of things could have been done to make this film better. I think the prison sequence could have been even longer, and I would have preferred if we saw just how changed Derek really was. I also felt like I didn't really know Faruiza Balk's character very well, but this could be a good thing showing she was a one-dimensional idiot. I was really impressed with the way they made Edward Norton look in his skinhead prime, he actually looked menacing and scary. I also liked the directing style for some strange reason. Someone pointed out before it seemed amateurish, but I disagree. This was a good, thought-provoking film. It showed where racists get their beliefs and just how crazy something out of control can become. It showed the horrors of hate crimes in a way other movies have failed to do in fear of being too frightening. I gave this movie a 10/10, but I think it could have been even better if it had been a bit longer with a little more character development.