A Brilliant Piece of Work, With an Often Misunderstood Ending

Rating: 10/10 (22 April 2005)

Edward Norton shines in his role of Derek Vinyard in AHX, which is the bluntest, most realistic portrayal of racism in the world that Hollywood has ever produced. The movie is one of an evolution in philosophy, of courage and standing up for what is right. Unfortunately, some who see this film come out of it with the impression that it contradicts itself.
*Spoilers* In the end, when Danny is shot by the black student who he confronted in the opening scene, some people seem to believe that it gives the impression that it makes a villain out of the black student and destroys the lesson the film tries to preach. However what some fail to realize is that the film is about racism, spoken from a white person's perspective, however racism is a problem within all societies and within all races, and as a result everybody loses. Danny lived a life of hatred and lost his life as a result, and his killer, fueled by the same hate, is obviously going to live the majority of his life behind bars as a result. The movie may be about redemption, however the message serves as a warning and tries to keep the audience from living a life similar to the Vinyard brothers before you go too far.
All in all, one of the greatest movies I've ever seen. AHX gets a 9.5/10 from me.