Brilliant, passionate, gut-wrenching

Rating: 9/10 (16 July 2003)

American History X tore out of me any innocence that might have been left concerning race relations today. There is no doubt that this movie is passionate about the pockets of American people who are so embittered over each other's race. The journey of a Neo-Nazi (Norton) from his first encounter with racism to the spiralling descent into hellish prison ends with an indescribable finale that left me paralyzed in my seat.
Edward Norton is quite possibly the finest actor of his generation, proving yet again that his ability to seep into a dark, uninhibited soul is paramount among his peers. Edward Furlong has come a little ways since the tough kid John Conner of Terminator 2 fame; he has the same attitude, but the context of the movie certainly adds clout to his performance. The surrounding cast is amazing. Beverly D'Angelo is truly amazing as the desperate mother of two lost boys, and Avery Brooks as the determined Principal attempting to free the would-be Neo Nazis scores big.
The cinematography, o the cinematography!!! The non-linear story ties in to Danny's class assignment on his brother wonderfully; the change from color to b&w works very well; all the past events seem even more brutal and honest than the scenes in color do. The one piece I would have to pick on American History X for is a few loose ends that seemed to be asking to be resolved at the end. The angry Neo-Nazi gang, the basketballers from the past, and the high school thugs all had a very equal and probable chance of reentering the plot at the crucial point, but the two left out of the picture were a small distraction when the main focus was staring me in the face.
Overall, this intense and violent portrait of hate in America left me emotionally paralyzed for several minutes. I can't even describe the roller coaster of nihlist-to-optimist-to-confused emotions the movie left in my lap after the climax. The entire movie was a kick in the face and I recommend it be seen by anyone in America doubting or even championing race relations in America today.
9/10