Powerful

Rating: 9/10 (9 April 1999)

American History X is certainly one of the most powerful movies I have seen in a long time. I just watched it last night on video, and let me tell you it is still with me, and will be for some time to come. Hatred is senseless. This is what I have come away with after seeing this one. What is so sad about American History X, is even though it is a fictional story, it portrays a very realistic problem in our world. It is amazing how one can become so engulfed in hate, that they fail to see how the hatred is destroying them and the people around them. We think that the consequence of Derek's actions is a prison sentence, and the result is a wonderful rehabilitation that is going to change not only his life, but his brother's too, who is headed down the same hate-filled road that Derek was headed down. However, we come to find that life doesn't work that way. Indeed, the hate filled seeds that Derek sowed before prison have blossomed, and the consequences are more then he could have ever imagined. American History X is a great movie because of how painfully real it is, and it doesn't pull any punches. It lets us know just how senseless hatred is...any kind of hate. You see, just because this movie happened to be about white supremacism, doesn't mean that it doesn't apply to everyone. I think the bottom line is this: Any hatred toward anyone can bring you down. It leads to emptiness, and destruction, and can bring about events that will ultimately kill you emotionally, and maybe even literally.