An important part of our history

Rating: 10/10 (16 December 2002)

Powerful is the best way to describe American History X. It is one of those films that benefits greatly from its subject matter. Few people encounter such overt racism in their everyday lives, and this film serves as an important reminder about the dangers of such beliefs. In the past 5-10 years, America pulled itself out of its "PC" era which means anti-racist thinking is on the way out, only to be replaced by something more honest and instinctual (much better in my opinion). When's the last time you heard the word "prejudice?" I never thought that would be a buzzword, but it is.
American History X serves to remind us of the pockets of anachronistic racism still living in the U.S. How prevalent these beliefs used to be still amazes me, and film exhibits no exception. Check out Spike Lee's Bamboozled for a shocking glimpse into that. I'll also take this opportunity to say again how much I hate Gone With the Wind... a classic joke of overacting (not Gable) and inadvertent racism that I couldn't get past. Films with double purpose of education and entertainment are few and far between. Chalk another one up for Norton, this one's a keeper. Prepare to be shocked. 10/10