American History X is A Harrowing Morality Tale!

Rating: 10/10 (27 April 2015)

Make no mistake; American History X is not pretty. It's not fun. It made me squirm and cringe. Not because it was bad, but because it's powerful stuff - a refreshing change from the usual saccharine attempts by Hollywood to address racism, giving us a brilliant tale told without restraint or bias.
The movie begins on the day former leader of a neo-Nazi skinhead gang Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton) gets out of prison after serving a 3- year sentence for the vicious manslaughter of black thieves who were trying to steal his truck. The incident in question was the culmination of Derek's indoctrination as a white supremacist, begun in the lessons of his father who was slain at the hands of black men, and picked up by Venice Beach's white-power kingpin Cameron. Derek's high-flying stardom within the latter's organization crashes in prison, where Derek slowly learns the error of his ways and builds a resolve to keep his younger brother Danny (Edward Furlong) from following in his footsteps. He comes home to find that his brother has succumbed to the rancorous influence of the same hate- group who turned him into a skinhead thug.
Meanwhile, at school, Danny must rewrite a paper for his history class because the glowing essay he wrote on Mein Kampf - at Cameron's urging - was rejected. He is ordered by his high school principal Dr. Sweeney to instead write a report on his brother and his own journey into the twisted skinhead world titled 'American History X'. Derek is the star of Danny's account, and Derek's transformation is revealed in black and white flashbacks when he recounts to Danny about his prison ordeal - his disillusionment with other skinhead inmates, their revenge on him and his unexpected friendship with a black convict. Danny slowly comes to realize the truth - the venom spewed by Cameron and his ilk creates nothing but misery. In the end, though, there is no escaping the price for Derek's sins.
American History X is deceptively simple in its story telling, but first-time director Tony Kaye directs it like an auteur, giving us a harrowing morality tale that is both rich and gripping at all times. But it is Edward Norton's riveting performance as a smart kid seduced by horrible ideas that makes the story real. He plays the raging neo-Nazi with unsettling conviction, spitting hateful propaganda and brutally letting his feelings out. Edward Furlong's performance as Danny shows an impressive range for a young actor, making Danny a believable teenager.
When Edward Norton's brilliant, fully rounded performance rubs up against the film's grainy toughness - complimented by an impressive, gut-wrenching screenplay - American History X becomes an exhilarating experience.