Brace Yourself

Rating: 8/10 (27 May 2014)

I have watched American History X three times now, and the reaction and feeling I get after watching it is always the same: stunned. Tony Kaye, who directed the movie, plunged us into the troubled and dangerous life of Venice Beach, California, torn apart by the different gangs fighting for their space. Edward Norton and Edward Furlong star in the film, and leave us both tongue-tied at the end of this amazing drama.
The movie tells the story of two brothers involved in a Neo-Nazi movement, after the death of their father killed by a black drug dealer. The older brother, DerekVinyard (Edward Norton), is sentenced to 3 years of prison for manslaughter, and comes back from it with his beliefs entirely changed. The people he met and the things he saw and endured during this time made him realize the true and important things in life. He will then try to open his brother's (Edward Furlon) eyes to stop him from becoming what he used to be.
One of the big paradoxes of this movie is the character of Derek. As much as we may have hated him at the beginning from all his racist thoughts, acts and violence against stranger but even his family, we cannot help but forgive his mistakes when he comes around at the end and try to make up for what he has done. Indeed, the intelligence of the character serving an awful purpose at the beginning comes eventually to his rescue and to the rescue of his family. This evolution is the greatest thing to witness and gives us an inexplicable joy. This is such a success thanks to the talent of Edward Norton, able to embody and incarnate really both sides of this character so well.
Tony Kaye decided to build the movie based on flashback from the time the father was still alive, to make us understand how racism developed, rooted and almost destroyed this family. All the scenes from the past are in black and white, as if the director wanted to give us a hint on the end of the movie,saying "this time is over, things have changed now".
Overall, the movie is captivating and surprising mostly because it does not have the same approach as most racism criticizing movies. It is not a judgmental view of racism here, even though it is still described as horrendous and unacceptable. Indeed, the director chose to show us more how can racism be accepted and defended in the context in which the family is living and how one's judgment can be obscured by the common vision you have to share when part of a group or gang like they are.
Final word, this film is to be seen absolutely, but brace yourself, you are going to be startled and even shocked sometimes; it is part of the charm of American History X.