American History X . Metro Pulse . Racism is bad.
War is hell.
Whenever a producer wants to make a statement about The World Today or feels that compelling urge to make a film for posterity, those are the themes he turns to. They're also the kind of obvious generalities that make for the dullest movies on earth. American History X focuses on Southern California's skinhead movement, composed of angry, disaffected punks who find an outlet for their rage in worshipping the ideals of Adolph Hitler. Upon Derek's release three years later, he is expected to rejoin his even larger clan of skinheads, a hero to the cause. American History X loops in and out of this story through a series of flashbacks that show the genesis of Derek's hatred and its eventual dissipation.