Edward Norton is absolutely riveting as the menacing skinhead at the center of American History X.

Rating: 7/10 (7 December 2009)

American History X is an inflated yet gut-slugging film. The story is about a neo-Nazi skinhead (Edward Norton) who sees the error of his ways in prison, and tries to prevent his brother (Edward Furlong) following in his footsteps.
American History X is jolting melodrama about an intelligent racist, which engineers his redemption too cheaply and gets suckered by its own lyric power. The film often seems at war with itself, but that's precisely the quality that makes Norton's performance so riveting. Director Tony Kaye disowned the released version, and claimed that Norton had altered and edited the film to give his role more prominence. Still, it's a compelling and provocative story.