However, there's not much you can do about that given the 2-hour time limit most movies that aren't Titanic have. Edward Furlong's performance was a little overdone as the worshipping younger brother. He provided much of the narration, and his voice left me cringing, as though he couldn't sound more apathetic and prophetic at the same time. American History X is a tough movie to watch. You feel yourself feeling sympathetic towards the unreformed Derek and his causes, which will make almost anyone uncomfortable.
Some scenes are quite violent, as well.
But these features add to the powerfulness of the subject, which can't be ignored in an accurate portrayal of neo-Nazi skin gang life. When I went to see this movie, the crowd was small, but mixed. There was a black couple, and a few WASP-y types, and me, who fit somewhere inbetween. Towards the beginning of the film, acts of violence towards African-Americans and other minorities were cheered, but as the film progressed, everyone sat tight. Walking out of the theater was like a funeral procession, and I was satisfied to think that everyone who had seen the film that night came out with a lot of things on their minds, which is how it should have been.