"Has anything you've done made your life better?"

Rating: 9/10 (29 July 2001)

I will always regret not seeing this for the first time in a theatre. Even on video, the impact is staggering. Certain scenes, notably the two discussions at the dinner table ('Rodney King' and 'Native Son'), Derek's confrontation with Cameron at the party, and, for me, Derek's memories of himself and Danny at the seashore, are classic examples of what intelligent movie-making can be. The violence in this film is totally in the context of the story, and therefore all the more shocking for it. These are characters we grow to know and like, and their motivations are those of real people. This kind of film, which tackles tough, meaningful issues in the lives of everyday people, is all too rare these days. Derek's speeches as a skinhead illustrate why this is not a simple problem to resolve, but the film itself resoundingly discredits violence as a solution.
Edward Norton will never deliver a finer-crafted, more-nuanced performance. Some of his roles have been showy ("Primal Fear", "The Score"), but here he creates a fully-realized, immensely complex person. Derek Vinyard is an archetypal character in cinema, and Norton's portrayal will be talked about for many years to come. But the rest of the cast is superb as well. Stacy Keach underplays Cameron beautifully, making him frighteningly ordinary, instead of a nutcase. Guy Torry is so likable as Lamont that he makes Derek's transformation believable. Avery Brooks, Beverly D'Angelo, and Jennifer Lien give dignity and depth to what could have been throwaway roles. Even Edward Furlong, normally an actor I find annoying, elevates his game here - check out the scenes with his little sister and when he is just starting to write his paper. I have seen this movie many times now, and I really believe each time that these people are Derek's family.

The structure of the film is one of its greatest strengths. The contrast between Derek now and Derek then is so stark that we are compelled to find out what changed him. On repeated viewings, you can see that he is the same person - charismatic, no-nonsense, passionate - but the older Derek has let go of his hate. The use of black-and-white makes it easy to follow the sequence of events, even though the flashback scenes are not presented chronologically. Every scene, every line adds to the overall effect. This is a landmark film, no doubt about it.