Although it is somewhat heavy handed, American History X has great performances and a shocking brutality that leaves a large impression on you.

Rating: 8/10 (30 September 2014)

The film is carried by Edward Norton, he portrays his character Derek Vinyard with real gusto and vitriol; what a howling, credibility defacing decision it was for Robert Benigni to trump Norton at the Oscars for his vexing role in the saccharine turd that is Life is Beautiful.
Vinyard is an intelligent young man from a middle-class suburban home, however he rapidly develops fervent fascist views after his father is murdered by a black gunman. Vinyard has clear leadership skills and he channels them in all the wrong directions. His fierce oration makes him a notable figure in the Californian neo-Nazi movement, bringing him to the attention of veteran racist Cameron Alexander (Stacy Keach), who is well cast as the creepy, manipulative leader. The influence of both Derek and Cameron mean that Derek's younger brother, the rather more placid Danny (Edward Furlong), also harbours dangerous neo-Nazism, although not with the same zeal as his brother.
To its merit, the film is unrestrained in its depiction of violent racism. With their foolish understanding of Nazism, the swastika adorned skinheads have a palpable hatred of all things un-Aryan. No one's hatred is greater than Vinyard's, who commits a brutal act of street, or rather curb, justice that has since become infamous. So abhorrent is the scene that it entered my top 10 most painful scenes in cinema history.
It's Vinyard's act of violence that lands him in prison, where, perhaps predictably, he has a change of heart. I felt that the manner in which Vinyard changes is rather too pronounced and straight forward, the transformation of such an extreme psychology should have been more nuanced in its depiction – the shift of a psychological complex is one of subtle shades, not clearly defined, narrative friendly episodes.
However, I think a good argument can be had about Vinyard's rapid change. Beneath all the extremism is a measured, intelligent man; he isn't an ignorant, retrograde fool, he's a subject one can work with. After all, his realisation isn't completely instantaneous, he integrates with the white thugs of his wing, the Aryan Brotherhood or whatever they call themselves, but their business practices are at odds with his strict principles. Combine this with his repeated and isolated work detail with the black Lamont (Guy Torry) (which I should think is an unlikely scenario for obvious reasons), and his sudden and considerable change of circumstance could have woken him up.
There's a whiff of stereotypical characterisation at times; the two principal black characters of the film Dr. Sweeney (Avery Brooks) and the aforementioned Lamont are within the realm of the stock character, the latter particularly. They can both be deemed as 'Magical Negroes', a term that refers to black characters whose sole purpose is to serve the development of a white character. Sweeney is Derek's former and Danny's current high school teacher. He is a respected, righteous man with a seemingly infinite wisdom; he manages to disarm everyone with sagacious monologues and philosophical questions that are delivered with his deep, portentous voice. His character is heavily influenced by civil rights figures such as Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.
Lamont, the inmate who Vinyard has repeated laundry duty with, is portrayed by comedian Guy Torry; I haven't seen his stand-up, however his manic, animated performance is certainly reminiscent of a Chris Rock gig. He's a rather frivolous character that's little more than narrative function that services Vinyard's character development.
It's not a surprise to find that director Tony Kaye's career began in advertising, his visual flair has transferred to the silver screen and can be seen throughout the film, with repeated use of slow motion and a black and white pallet for flashback scenes. Considering History's subject matter, I felt the film was sometimes stylish to a fault, particularly during a racial territorial dispute on a basketball court that's constructed in a way through aesthetics and music that inclines the viewer to support the white men.
Other examples of ill-judgement were during its humorous moments concerning the obesely corpulent and repellent Seth (Ethan Suplee), particularly during a brutal assault on immigrant supermarket staff where he steals a large plastic burger, it's not funny and is inappropriate in its placing.
Although its morality tale is heavy handed and simplistic, I must reiterate that American History X is a highly memorable film driven by an incendiary Edward Norton and an unrestrained, vicious intensity that few contemporary films strive for.
83%
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