violence justified

Rating: 9/10 (16 May 1999)

Much has been said about the amount of violence in the film American History X. I've read comments to the effect that the violence in this film is unnecessary, that we should not be so mesmerized by it, and that a good movie need not show such horror.
I have a differing viewpoint on this. Gratuitous violence in a form of entertainment can have an adverse effect on society to a certain degree. The issue I take is with people who say that the violence in this movie and others like it is unnecessary.
The real reason that people are afraid of the violence in this movie is because this is a truthful representation of hate. Those who truly hate others for the color of their skin, their religion, or national origin are prone to this type of violence.
I live in Pennsylvania. This state has the second highest number of hate groups in the country. I have seen the damage that hate has done to people, the violence that is done against those who are different. This film is an accurate representation of that violence.
The movie also flawlessly points out that this hatred of those who are different does not lie with one particular race of people. The ending, which many have complained is not surprising enough for them, shows the vicious circle that mindless hate can cause. Hate is a learned thing, whether it is white people hating black because parents have handed that down over generations, or black people hating white for trying to keep them down. No one is inherently better than anyone else: it's time we learned that.
The only other thing I have to say about this film is to praise the impeccable performance of Edward Norton as the young man who learns that hate kills the hard way. I fully agree with critics who the week before the Academy Awards stated that Edward Norton would not win only because of his age and inexperience on the Hollywood scene. His portrayal of the teenager who falls into hate and the young man who is hauled out of it by circumstances is superb, and if he had had even one prior nomination, I believe that he would have won the Oscar.