Brave movie, but a copout?

Rating: Null/10 (12 May 1999)

I thought that the movie succeeded largely on the basis of Edward Norton's performance. It was a brave decision on the part of the moviemakers to create a protagonist who could make racism plausible and not to settle for simplistic, self-justifying distinctions between good and evil. At the same time, I can't decide if I approve of the way that the movie deflects racial issues, rephrasing them into questions of personal loyalty and betrayal--while the skinhead characters tend to rationalize their hateful attitudes by citing broad social trends, ultimately the movie seems to lay blame at the feet of treacherous fathers or father figures. Whether or not the movie settles for pat psychologizing to explain the Vinyard brothers' racism is something worth arguing about. Although horrifyingly brutal at times, AMERICAN HISTORY X also has many subtle points to make, but unfortunately its effectiveness is undermined by a contrived ending. Again, the great strength of the film is its star, who accomplishes the rare feat of being both physically and intellectually intimidating, loathsome and admirable.