A heavy film

Rating: 8/10 (14 March 2020)

American History X, directed by Tony Kaye, is the story of an American Neo-Nazi (Edward Norton) who decides to abandon his cause, and now has to stop his younger brother (Edward Furlong) from going down the same path as he did.
As one might have guessed, it is quite a heavy film, and light-hearted movie goers may want to take caution. It is however a movie that everyone should see at least some time in their life, as it teaches a very important message; violence is not the way.
The main highlight of the film is Norton's performance. He is simply excellent as Derek Vinyard, and after seeing him as the compassionate big brother in one scene, and as a totally unhinged and chilling psycho in the next (flashbacks), you really understand what range he has got. His Academy Award nomination was well deserved. Edward Furlong plays Danny Vinyard, the younger brother. Although I have never been quite a fan of his voice, I suppose that is just a nit-pick, and he still delivers a fine performance. I also enjoyed Fairuza Balk as Derek's downright creepy girlfriend Stacey.
I must also praise the cinematography, especially for the flash-back scenes with the use of black and white. It adds a certain atmosphere to them, which intensify the emotional weight of the entire movie. The editing could be criticized, since the slow motion sequences are perhaps a bit too common, but all in all, it is only a minor flaw. The score, composed by Anne Dudley, is excellent and some moments are simply breathtaking (such as the choir parts from the piece 'American History X'). It too plays a great part in delivering the great emotion the film has.
To summarize; American History X is a very powerful film, which definitely left me quite shocked. It features spiffing acting, great visuals and a good soundtrack, but it unfortunately suffers from minor flaws. In my opinion, these flaws can be quite easily glossed over however.
80/100