Fantastic, moving, powerful...

Rating: 10/10 (27 November 2001)

This may very well be the best film I have ever seen, probably the first movie to tackle the topic of racial hatred in such a full-on way without ever once reverting to tokenism and/or victimisation of one group to make its point.
While the main story revolves around white supremacists Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton) and his brother Danny (Edward Fulrong), racism is universal. This is a film about racism in ALL its forms and the effect it has on the people who practice and preach it and their loved ones. This is a point summed up in Bob Sweeney's (Avery Brooks) question to Derek: "has anything you've done made your life better?"
* * * SPOILER AHEAD * * *
The ending is fantastic, poignant and intentionally ambiguous. It challenges you and has you thinking for days afterwards. How does Derek come to terms with this after all he has been through? Is this crime motivated by hatred for Danny and Derek, brought on by the actions of Derek and others like him? Or is this just senseless racism in another form?
This is a movie that never lets up. The it refuses to hide the violence but is never gratuitous or glamorized but it IS brutal - the "put your mouth on the kerb" scene is not Tarantino-esqe violence, but is far more disturbing. Likewise the prison rape scene.
The power of this film is helped no end by completely believable performances by all the principal actors. Edward Norton, as always, is brilliant, and having only regarded Edward Furlong as a pin-up boy until I saw this film, I was blown away by his performance as the impressionable Danny. A special mention goes to Beverly D'Angelo, who puts in the performance of her life as Doris, the boys' mother - who could believe she played another mother in the role of Ellen Griswold in the abysmal "National Lampoon" movies?
It's obvious that the actors had a real passion for the subject matter and threw themselves 110% into performances which must have been very demanding.
All in all, a fantastic experience for viewers who want a film which challenges them and leaves them questioning for days. Not for those who are simply looking for entertainment.
Verdict: * * * * * / * * * * *