it gives neo-nazi white supremacy a different perspective

Rating: 9/10 (8 June 2005)

"Has anything you've done made your life better?" Keep that one little question in your mind because it's the basis of this entire film. Look, everyone looks at skinheads, kkk members, and other miscellaneous hate organizations as mindless hateful machines. We give them no credit, we say there is no basis for their beliefs. Which isn't necessarily true, a lot of it has to do with how these people chose to act upon these feelings. That's what this film focuses upon it gives you more. More to work with, more to work off of, and that's what makes this film more than "good". This guy, hateful as he is, is human, with family with heart, and beliefs, and inner demons and choice and we see that. All of it. We start to understand him, we start to see little bits of ourselves in him (we may not want to admit it but we do) we start to watch him and analyze him. This "guy" is Derek, yeah, he has a name and this movie it chronicles his past and present. It goes from, intelligent to brainwashed to hateful to prison to changed (mind you, he never loses the intelligence, it just becomes masked by hate). Amazingly dynamic transformations. Yet, he has to watch his brother, Danny, go down the same dingy self-corruptive path. This is what the movie focuses on, and as you watch you grit your teeth and you soak it all up. Because you know in reality, everyone's a little bit racist. Everyone is "capeable" of attaining such a status. David McKenna wrote this magnificently, and Tony Kaye captured his writings with great artistic vision and skill. He didn't overplay it, he didn't water it down... much ;) He captured this film and delivered it with such amazing power and grace. Along with an absolutely brilliant cast Edward Norton as Derek and Edward Furlong as Danny, not to mention the small but powerful roles played by Beverly D'Angelo (their mother-Doris) and Avery Brooks playing the "I won't give up on you" history teacher Dr. Sweeny. This film is powerful, by all means. It does more than any over the top Oliver Stone flick, because it truly captures the essence and the moment. Because that's what it's all about. Right? Before we judge them we need to understand them, and change accordingly, and fight like mad to hold on to the things we treasure and consider dear. Remember that. If i told you more than the basics (which i kinda did) the movie, in my opinion, wouldn't be as much. All I can say is; I'd definitely recommend it, artistically, as well as content wise. Because it teaches you something, and leaves hope in the minds of the frightened, but most of all because at the end of the day its more than "good".